Us Against The Shadows (Collaborative Story Tennis)
by StrikerStanding692
Summary: Janeth Maria's adventures bring her to one interesting detour as her half-android sniper companion named 'Sinon' had been called in by the Cosmos Sailors for assistance. She thought it was just a job, but it turned into a friendly favor. It started with Sayaka and Azusa's disappearance. She didn't know half of what the day was about to bring her in...
1. Chapter 2: Fighting the Darkness Within

**_For everyone reading this, this is the second chapter of the collaboration story called "Us Against The Shadows." It's authored by both myself, and one author using the name 'Leche Flandre,' the author who made "The Girl Who Shattered Time" but is taken from the world of his work called "Displaced" and mine called "Sky Dreadnought." Both works are under one universe and the two of us are collaborating authors. YES!_**

 ** _I'm the author of the two stories "Magical Dimensions: Magical Janeth Maria" and "The Nine Stars: Cosmos Sailors." We've put those stories together to make a Story Tennis with the title I first mentioned. The first chapter of this work, comes from my partner, Leche Flandre. THIS is the second chapter you guys are waiting for. I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. If you haven't read it yet, visit Leche Flandre's page and read it first before this one._**

 ** _The work is inspired from Puella Magi, Love Live, and somehow, Sword Art Online, since a character from there is a companion to Janeth Maria. ;) Check out my page for her OC details. ;)_**

 ** _So… HERE WE GO! 2nd chapter is in the house!_**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: "Fighting the darkness within"**_

 _ **I: "Come in, the half-android sniper"**_

The barren city was ruined, and abandoned. A sandstorm recently passed it, and no one passed the sand-covered roads. It was an afternoon with the sun high, and the clouds partly covering the brightness coming from it. What it lit into brightness were the buildings that were wrecked, the wrecked cars that looked futuristic in its appearance.

The crosshair from the Anti-Materiel Rifle Hecate II was aimed from a vantage point, towards to the dark parts covered by the tall buildings: They are spiritual to less than corporeal forms of monsters acting in Shadow energy. They have red eyes. Some have yellow. Each monster uses their hind legs to walk, and most of them have a height of 9 feet, while some are 4 feet in height. They were randomly walking as they looked around for any threats they thought weren't visible any longer. Soon… it will change.

" _ **Shino…**_ " A girl's voice sounded at the earpiece of the Hecate II's owner, who had short pale blue hair, indigo colored eyes, and was wearing desert-military style attire on her. She was on prone position as her weapon was comfortably set on the ground. Then she was listening to the girl talking to her. " _Shino, are you there?_ "

"My name… is Sinon."

" _I know. But don't forget where you came from._ "

"Of course I didn't. What is it now, Janeth?"

" _I'm about to make my move._ "

"Acknowledged. I'm ready here and provide you support from a distance."

" _And why wouldn't I trust my friendly sharpshooter?_ "

"You picked me up from the ashes and rebuilt me to have this body, right?"

" _That's during your promotion job of the NerveGear in the Middle East…_ "

"Just don't remind me! Are you ready?"

" _I am. Remember that the target is scared and is in hiding. She's in the wrecked car you're seeing right now. She might be a little girl, but she knows how to keep her mouth shut at a time like this. They don't know she's hidden inside it._ "

"And we're here to rescue her, right?"

" _We're doing that with your help. Jan is about to clear up the south side, so she'll be helping around here soon enough. I'm gonna start my run. Finally…_ "

 _ **Janeth running on the same road the monsters were in a sprint…**_

She opened her eyes and smirked with her Cannon-Rifle out one hand and a bunch of playing cards at the other. "…I'm about to make them feel pain." As soon as she said it, the monsters saw her coming and were growling. One of the monsters extended its arm and fired out a shadow energy blast. She jumped off the road as the round made a small explosion near it. She landed on a car and jumped, then ran across the side of the building and threw two playing cards, now glowing purple as it hits two monsters. It weakened them just before she jumped off the building side and aimed her Cannon-Rifle at the monsters hit with the cards. " _ **SPARA!**_ " Her weapon charged and she pulled the trigger as a shell left her Cannon-Rifle before it splits into three. Three large explosions were made as multiple whines from monsters were heard from being hit. "Sinon… OPEN FIRE!"

 _ **Sinon…**_

Sinon then wasted no time as she pulled the trigger and fired a shot, before cocking her weapon and firing another shot. Two monsters went down, but they were slowly generating, just before cards landed on them and were weakened and were shot by shells. "You're overdoing it."

" _ **I'm simply double-tapping them.**_ _Can't you see that?_ "

 _ **Janeth...**_

She kept sprinting and evaded big punches that only landed on the hard ground as she went her way to the car just as a 4 foot shadow monster blocked her way and shot shadow blasts. She evaded them by an inch for each just before she threw a purple-glowing card and shot it off with an explosive shell. "This is too easy!"

" _Don't get too confident, Janeth. They're converging on your position._ "

"Oh, are they now?" She smirked before she removes her Cannon-Rifle from her hand and replaces it with a golden AK74 before firing a burst at the oncoming wave of monsters just to push them back. Two of the 9-footers absorbed the damage like a sponge and continued to charge towards her. "Your actions are not worth it!" She jumped and spin before throwing two magic cards at them before they're weakened and shot off by her AK rounds. Eventually, she arrived at the wrecked car. "Cover me! I'll try to get the subject out."

" _Ryokai! (Roger!)_ " Sinon then decides to pack up and get close. She then equips herself with an H&K MP7 and jumps off the building she once sniped from. " _I'm coming!_ "

"Just hurry up!" Janeth then finds the scared subject: A girl with brown hair looking to be 10 years old of sorts, keeping her head down while trying to shut out sounds anything when… "Casey!" Janeth calls out the girl's name, and the girl looks up to her. "We have to go, now!"

"D-Daddy?!"

"He sent us, okay?! Now you're coming with me!" Janeth starts to get Casey out of the car as she heard Sinon arrive, firing her MP7 and easily switching to her rifle and fight at close range. "Sinon, good!"

"Don't delay any longer!" Sinon fired another shot from her rifle just before her body felt a pulse and stopped moving. At her fear, a monster was starting to insert its spirit to her. "AGGH! NO!" She got on her knees, now getting weak.

"SHINO!" Janeth then threw a card at the monster trying to possess Sinon before it got hit by the magic card. With no delay, she aimed her AK74 at it. "GET DOWN!" Sinon then found some strength to bend aside, and Janeth fired a burst at the monster before it growled and was defeated. Sinon was finally released and breathed. "You okay?!" She asked but then put up a rift beside Sinon. "Go on! GO!"

Sinon nodded before she got on her feet and crossed in the rift. "JANETH, CROSS NOW!"

Janeth then saw monsters coming at her and Casey furiously. "Casey, RUN! GO!" Janeth then pushed Casey as the girl ran, with her following tightly behind before the two crossed the rift together. The rift closes, leaving a confused bunch of shadow monsters behind…

 _ **Just outside the city...**_

A rift opened above a road just before Sinon jumped out of it, falling 3 feet before landing on her feet. She then moved out of the way to see Casey and Janeth finally cross the rift and land hard on the ground before the rift closes.

" _ **CASEY!**_ " A man with a beard while dressed in a civilian desert attire ran towards Casey and helped her up, before she hugged her. "Oh... Casey!"

"Daddy...!" Casey lets a tear out unconsciously upon holding her father.

"Chancellor Duran." Janeth calls out the man in the desert attire. "Casey is safe and unharmed. I hope you got here with good reason, when I told you to stay in the palace where it's safe."

Duran then gently pulled away from the hug and stood up, just before he browsed a pocket and took out a small bag before throwing it to Janeth's hands. "That's what I owe you, Magical Girl."

"Thank you... But what you did is a little reckless."

"I know. I just wanted to see my daughter alive. That's all."

"You don't trust me?"

"Of all things I heard from you, the worst is that you already destroyed two worlds just to get this planet to be in peace. You might be a savior, but you're also a walking death trap."

"Am I now?" Janeth smirks while seeing Sinon walk beside her. "I understand you want to fear me, but you could at least thank me."

"I do, Magical Girl."

"And call me Janeth next time WE DO see each other. I want you to tell them the name of the girl who might be a terrorist in your eyes. I destroyed two worlds... but I did so with a heavy heart," Janeth said. Then she glanced towards the utility vehicle nearby. It's not scratched for one bit, and it seemed to be okay. "Since you drove that vehicle here, just use that to leave. If you don't trust me so much, that is. If you do, I'll open a rift and get you off-world."

"It's fine, Janeth." Duran then keeps Casey tight on him. "I think we'll take our chances."

"I can respect that. Stay safe for me." Janeth then sees Duran nod before he walks away from her with Casey in tow.

Casey looks back at Janeth while walking with her father. "Thank you!" She then waved at Janeth just before she got in the utility vehicle with her father. The vehicle then was driven off.

Sinon saw the vehicle being driven away, leaving them both behind. "So... is that a... Mission Accomplished?"

"It seems so. We were given the credits."

"But aren't you going to help them get off-world faster?"

"I'm letting them go, respecting Chancellor Duran's wishes."

"I see," Sinon said just before something vibrated from her attire. Browsing her pocket, she found her compact communicator ringing. Once she looked at the contact's name, she winced. "Um... Janeth, mind if I take a minute?"

"Maybe a minute or two could help. Make it quick, will you?" Janeth then walked away from Sinon to leave her alone.

Sinon then reached for the cover of the compact communicator before opening it, and was surprised of the person she's about to talk to. "Ayase Eli?" She saw Eli's small hologram self on her compact communicator.

" _ **It's me.**_ _Is this a bad time?_ "

"No. It's fine, but... You really shouldn't have called me. I just finished a job."

" _Isn't that okay? There's another one for you._ "

"Oh?"

" _Well... it's not a job. Maybe if it is, there should be payment, but I don't know._ "

"How do I know you're not gonna lie?"

" _Did I ever?_ " Eli asked this, testing Sinon's faith.

Then again, Sinon knew Eli is honest about most things. "If you test me..."

" _Look... I'll tell you straight away. Sayaka... is gone._ "

"What?"

" _Wait, do you know?_ "

"Well... Knowing that I've been going around for jobs, I hear a bit of Sayaka Bishop herself."

" _You know her?_ "

"I do, but only by her face and name. She's liberated a few systems from wicked hands. That's something to be recognized of."

" _I see._ "

"How did she disappear?"

" _That's what we're about to find out. We might need an extra hand._ "

"Fine. Just for backup, I guess I'll just do you a favour."

" _Serious?_ "

"Yes. I never met Sayaka Bishop before. But if it's finding her that you like done, I'll be happy to help."

" _Great. Then I look forward to seeing you. I'll send you the rift location via the numbers. See ya._ " And Eli's hologram faded before a complex combination of numbers replaced it. Sinon knew about the combination and she raised an eyebrow.

"London?"

" _ **I see.**_ " Janeth's voice spooked Sinon.

"J-Janeth?!"

"So they're requesting assistance, huh?"

"Seriously, what's up with you?!"

"Oh, I want to hear a lot of things. That was Eli Ayase, wasn't it?"

"So?"

"I'm not going to lie to you... Ever since I hired you, I was already watching your moves. Like you, I've also been in contact with the Cosmos Sailors."

"Why are you telling me just now then?"

"It's because I wanted to surprise you. I knew one day you'd get a chance to help them out for yourself. I've shown them the ropes on the Shadows in their MultiVerse."

"But this MultiVerse Međurasni has its own, right?"

"They can be few or there could be more. It's random. But Ambrogio's filled with the majority, since the Shadow Lord is still living."

"Ah."

"But anyway... You're going."

"What about you?"

"I'll run along and do other things. Knowing the Cosmos Sailors, they can take care of themselves. Plus... maybe they'd know about you working for me at a better time to avoid confusions."

"So I won't say anything, huh?" Sinon sighed and looked away, then glanced back to Janeth. "You're shady."

"Yes... but I saved your life many times. Does that justify? I know I don't tell you other things, but it's meant to protect you. I might have hired you for various things, but I consider you as a friend. You're independent and I made you that way. But if you're with me, trust me. It's the only thing I'm asking now... What are the coordinates?" Janeth asked and Sinon shows the numbers. "Universe 11 Junistera, huh? And in London too, inside Oxilla Galactic. It could be a good place as any anyway. There are shadows hiding there. They found a good place as any." Snapping two fingers, a rift opens beside Sinon. "Be on your way, Sinon. And remember: Nobody knows you're involved with me... yet. Understood."

"Yeah, I got it."

"Take care of yourself." Janeth smiles just before she waves and sees Sinon cross into the rift. She then closed the rift and narrowed her eyes. "Damn it, Sayaka. Whatever you got into, it might have been reckless. An incorruptible gem... and now you're gone. And with those Shadows still crawling... Hmph." She then started walking away from the barren city. ' _You're gonna get others killed or hurt just because of what happened you. I promised I shouldn't disturb you. But if I will, I must have good reason._ '

 _ **MultiVerse Junistera... Universe 11... Oxilla Galactic System...**_

 _ **Somewhere at a flat in a peaceful morning in London...**_

The redhead teen named Kyoko paced back and forth while the tension was high on her. The nine former idols looked at her as she kept walking. She was nervous, and it increased at each second.

This, Eli didn't want to continue seeing. And so, she stood up and held Kyoko's shoulders. "Kyoko, stop. This isn't gonna help."

"What isn't? Seriously! Sayaka and Azusa are GONE! And you expect me to calm down?!"

" _ **Please... Sakura-san...**_ " Kotori said with her hands clasped in prayer. "We can't be in level if we don't think well."

"Look... What do you expect we do?"

" _ **It's obvious,**_ " Eli replied. "We try finding them."

"How?"

"Flying over the city is out of the question for now. So the only thing we could try is go on foot from the club. This is low-level but..."

" _ **Um...**_ " Hanayo wanted to say something as Eli's eyes along with the rest glanced towards Hanayo. "I talked to Melusine about this for a while. And something else strange came up."

"Hm?" Honoka seemed interested.

"Explain," Eli advised.

Hanayo started. "Melusine told me something strange. Remember the time when we couldn't find any shadows? Well... this is what I wanted to show you." She then pressed a few buttons on her Wrist Analyzer before a holographic image of the London map came out. There were black smoky spots on some places. "See... There's only a very little amount of the shadows left. There used to be a lot around in the city."

Kyoko decided to speak out. "Wait... They're Shadows?"

"Why? What is it?"

"She told me something about Shadows existing here and she took on some, I think."

Nozomi gasped at the idea. "Of course... There's something I've noticed." She then glanced at Kyoko's soul gem. "That... right there..."

"It's a soul gem," Kyoko replied.

"I sense there's magical power residing inside it. But in the core lies... a living consciousness. Did you tell us it's a soul gem?"

"It's exactly as it's named, where our soul is stored in. It's the fate a magical girl to have this. I have one. Sayaka has one, but it's incorruptible. She's gone through some heavy stuff just to get to that result. Anyway... it doesn't gather corruption like mine doe. Usually when it comes to our negative emotions that completely becomes our despair, it darkens our soul gems, no... just mine. Sayaka's different now."

Nozomi analyzed Kyoko's understanding of the soul gem and was in thought. ' _Could it be...?_ ' "What else aren't you telling us?"

"Well..." Kyoko uneasily laughed. It was beginning to be a hot-seat treatment for her. Everyone expected an answer and she finally spoke out: "Sayaka has a doppelganger. I don't know, but it was formed through the Shadows she faced."

"DAMN IT!" Nozomi fisted her own thigh at the revelation, with gasps coming from others who have heard about Shadow Sayaka. "Then I have a theory that could support this. This soul gem that you say it is... From Sayaka, it's incorruptible. Well... She engaged them, right? Did she have any magic to counter any of the shadows?"

"I didn't really hear. But she did channel mana to her attacks against shadows."

"That's not good enough. Maybe she might have defeated the shadows. But instead of extinguishing them immediately, those shadows eventually found a source of life to possess. They never had a chance to possess Sayaka Bishop since her soul gem is powerful, so my guess is: They all gathered in the soul gem to try. You only had to tell us this morning to tell us Sayaka and Azusa disappeared. That must have been when the shadows gave up in possessing and found a different approach: Cloning themselves into one body. With so much power from the soul gem, they might have pulled it off, making the shadow doppelganger of Sayaka."

"Oh my..."

"Shadows can't be extinguished easily."

Kyoko winced at this. "Wait... You're not telling me the shadows aren't really dead, are you?"

"They usually vanish from existence, you know. But that's only if there's a certain form of magic used. I've been imbued by it after Lady Sayuri made me learn different kinds that counter the Shadow energy. No other magic could be learned except this one. And my cards can be great weapons once I bless them with my magic. So unless I banish Shadows using the magic I know, there's no way the shadows could be easily extinguished. We use extensions, yes... But that's only to paralyze or hurt them. They can use whatever little their essence can do."

"Then we haven't really learned everything, right?"

" _ **That's not your fault,**_ " Maki said. "If there was something you should have known, it's the kind of shadows you will face inside that doppelganger. I doubt the same methods would work, but we'd try."

"I'm not blaming you, or Sayaka," Nozomi continued. "Look... It's pretty much a knowledge that's based for another location. Ambrogio is the place to go, but this is Junistera. Nothing like that can be learned in any of the galaxies in this universe, or in any of the universe, in this current MultiVerse. I'm sorry."

"Nah." Kyoko crossed her arms. "Now what's our next move?"

Umi then decided to reply. "Since there are small traces of those Shadows left from the places Sayaka engaged them in, we should start searching from there."

Hanayo then pointed a place on the holographic map of London. "The Falkland House Government Office in 14 Broadway is the place where shadow energy is a bit plenty. I say we start there." And eventually, the hologram changed to an image of Melusine from the Sailors HQ. "Melusine?"

" _ **Hello, everyone.**_ " Melusine spoke in a calm manner. " _I know your original mission is look for shadows acting independently and extinguish them, but it seems that your mysterious friend took care of them. Sayaka Bishop, right? Wait... What am I...?_ " Then she gasped. " _There's a rift opening there!_ "

Eli knew it as a dimensional rift opens next to Kyoko just before her expected guest comes through. Sinon then saw everyone as the rift finally closed behind her. "Ah... You're here."

" _ **Sinon!**_ " The other girls said, except for Kyoko who didn't know her.

"Who are you?" Kyoko asked in curiosity at the guest.

"Same question," Sinon replied.

" _What's going on?! Wait... That's Asada Shino! What is she...?_ "

" _ **I called her.**_ " Eli had to say it now as other eyes glanced on her. "I knew we might run into trouble, so I had to bring another one in to help us out on finding Sayaka and Azusa. Kyoko... That's Sinon, also known with her real name as..."

"...Asada Shino." Sinon then glanced at Kyoko. "But call me Sinon, please," she said before extending her hand out.

Kyoko smiled and reached Sinon's hand, then clasped it before they shook hands. "Sakura Kyoko. Pleasure's mine, I guess. So you know them, huh?"

"Yup. We kinda met way back when I was on a hostage rescue mission. They helped make it easier, and I offered my services if ever they need it."

"Ah."

" _Story-telling goes later,_ " said Melusine as she got everybody's attention. " _Start off at Falkland House. Sailors... you know your methods. Use them. I'll contact you all again later._ " Melusine's holographic image faded from Hanayo's Wrist Analyzer.

"I guess we have our objective laid out on us." Honoka stood up first. "Girls, let's make this day count! We're gonna find Sayaka and Azusa-san together!"

* * *

 _ **II: "My friends... we meet again"**_

Sinon stretched her shoulders while walking together with Honoka, Eli, Nozomi, Kyoko and Maki in a group. They were walking at the side-streets of London making sure they're separated from the rest on the way to Falkland House. It also follows with the others who have split to take different routes. Knowing the situation of the shadows, they had to make sure not to catch any attention of any eyes. Recently, Eli felt like she was being watched from afar. But even SHE has no idea who it was.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was still silent of all this since Sayaka and Azusa had disappeared. Feeling bad after it happened, it made her feel guilty. ' _I shouldn't have been caught off guard. I knew at any time that Sayaka could be in danger, but with a Shadow doppelganger of Sayaka? That's something unheard of._ '

" _ **Sakura?**_ " Sinon called Kyoko out, concerned while noticing she was deep in thought. "You okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Your tone doesn't say so though."

"Well..." Kyoko sighed.

"You're the only one to see Sayaka and Azusa gone after that doppelganger attacked you all. By that, the blame isn't supposed to be put on you."

"But I DO blame myself, Sinon."

"You know... I once asked myself a question whether in the past, it was my fault that things happened. Long before I became introduced to the world of guns and became relieved because of it, I experienced protecting my mother after my father died in a car accident. I was about two years old, I think. Nine years after the accident, a robbery happened at a postal office. There was a man who was about to try kill my mother, and I shot him with his own gun. I was filled with trauma afterwards, and tried to find peace. So I tried relieving myself by joining a game by the use of a NerveGear. It's named Gun Gale Online. Sure it had guns, but it was relieving to me, in a world that had guns but didn't look scary. In the real world back then, I was afraid of them. Months passed and friends helped me out of it. I even experienced going out against a murderer in GGO with Kirigaya Kazuto's help. That got me to resolve my trauma a little later by facing my own fears. I talked to a person from the postal office back then, and I knew killing a life back then saved many. For the first time, someone thanked me because of it. And I listened. So if you ever wanted to ask yourself that things are on you, don't. All you have to do is be yourself and do whatever you can from where you left of. If it's not for your friends, do it for yourself."

"Well... I kinda owe Sayaka on one thing. I'm a half-witch after all. Though..."

"It's ok. You don't need to tell me everything. Tell me when this is all over, Kyoko."

"Thank you. I think we'll be great friends." Kyoko then looked forward and made a weak smile for the sake of trying to cheer up. Sinon believes in her, and knows Sayaka does the same.

Eli just took of her finger from her earpiece. "Everyone, we're almost there. Once we get there, we try acting casual."

" _ **Right,**_ " Honoka commented. "We're not really sure of what to expect there, so stay cautious."

"Honoka, think we could get word out to the current Incumbent about our intentions around Falkland House?"

"Elizabeth II?"

" _ **I'm not sure about that, Ericchi,**_ " Nozomi replied for Eli. "We're not really from around here."

" _ **True,**_ " Maki commented. "We only got here to kill some Shadows but not really ask assistance from anybody in this world unless we have to."

Kyoko was thinking as they are. ' _Nah... Elizabeth II in there? Obviously, hell no. But shadows gathering at that place could mean trouble..._ ' she thought. "Guys, there would just be officials working who don't know about the shadows."

The earpieces rang out through all of them as Melusine's voice was heard. " _ **This is HQ!**_ _If all of you are reading me, get to Falkland House in a snap!_ "

" _ **Why?**_ " Eli asked.

" _Shadow energy is gathering up and fast for a reason! I have a feeling it will be messy with people there._ "

Honoka gasped. "No! This is Sailor Lead. We are on the case! Everyone, we're getting there NOW!"

Maki smirks. "This'll be fun."

" _ **I'd say,**_ " Nozomi comments with a smile.

"Honoka?" Eli inquired.

Honoka nodded. "Well I don't care if we get found out. I won't have people hurt... NOT ON MY WATCH! _**SAILORS, WINGS!**_ "

" _ **RYOKAI! (ROGER!)**_ " Along with Honoka, every Cosmos Sailor turned as their attires changed into the white Battle Dress.

" _Ready!_ " Rin said.

" _Orders?_ " Hanayo inquired.

" _I'm excited for this!_ " Nico said.

" _Umi-chan!_ " Kotori called Umi out.

" _Right!_ " Umi replied for Kotori.

"Ready when you are, Sayaka." Eli said.

"I'm about to shock everyone." Nozomi said with a smile.

"Let's make this count!" Maki said.

And every Cosmos Sailor put out their fairy wings.

Honoka then looked back to Kyoko and Sinon. "We'll have to get there fast. But you two should stay behind. This is our fight."

"Uh-uh." Kyoko crossed her arms. "That's what you think." And her eyes glowed orange to a gold color. "See... This is my fight too, and Sinon's. I never ran away once, even from a friend who wants to kill me. I won't do the same right now." And balling fists with both hands, flames had enveloped her body, until her attire has changed to a kimono-style outfit, while her hair had a fiery-orange color. Her spear fell from the sky as she caught it and expertly handle it, getting into her final stance to complete her transformation. "You four go ahead and I'll catch up with Sinon here."

Honoka nods and glances at the other three Sailors. "Let's go!" She then spreads her wings before springing up and flew with Eli, Nozomi, and Maki following suit.

"Now where were we? Ah..." Kyoko then whistled by instinct until a creature like a horse in its figure came and neighed with an echoed effect. It then stopped beside her before she got on it and looked at Sinon while reaching a hand out. "Come on!"

And as soon as Sinon held Kyoko's hand, she stopped and felt like her senses were synced with the horse. It took a while for her to snap out of it and got on Kyoko's horse. "Whoa... What did I just feel?"

"You tell me."

"For a moment there, I saw what the horse saw. I saw what it hears and I felt what it felt."

"That's what I first knew when I obtained my half-witch form. I'm one with it. Right now... you are. But since you're not its true rider, you'll only have it when you're riding with me."

"Alright."

"Now instead of sitting with our butts cold... HYAAA!" Kyoko then held tight to her horse and Sinon held Kyoko's shoulders as the horse neighed proudly while raising its front, just before it got back to all fours and galloped forward, speeding at the street as others looked at them. "It feels good when the wind hits me."

"When we're near there, I'm jumping off. I need to get a vantage point."

"Right... you're a sniper. Sure thing!" Kyoko smiles as she looked forward. "Yeah!"

 _ **In front of Falkland House Government Office...**_

Shadow Sayaka saw people run from her in fear. Calmly walking at the sidewalk, she glanced around, seeing figures flying from afar coming at her direction. She smiled, recognizing them. "My friends... we meet again..."

* * *

 _ **III: "It starts with a greeting..."**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy...**_

Honoka finally got the lead while she led her flight of the half cosmic fairy Cosmos Sailors as they flew together to 14 Broadway. Rin, knowing she had fast senses was the first to notice someone familiar formed as a Shadow minion just out of the office. And she couldn't believe her eyes as to who it was.

"No... way!" Rin said in disbelief. "That's... That's her! Kyoko is telling the truth!"

" _ **I confirm it!**_ " Hanayo replied, just as her eyes were working with her ability, Tech Analysis. "Oh my god... All that Shadow energy... it's swarming on her. And... it's like the Shadows are combined into one independent body. So this is what the incorruptible gem could do?"

" _ **Stay cautious, everyone,**_ " Honoka commands just before they spread out and land just distant from Sayaka. "Sayaka?"

Shadow Sayaka noticed she was called by the orange-haired Fusojin. "Ah... Honoka, right?"

"Um..."

" _ **Let's get straight to the point,**_ " Eli spoke up for Honoka. "What happened early morning, Sayaka?"

The Shadow girl smiles. "You already have knowledge of it. It was probably Kyoko who told you since we haven't found her."

"You attacked the original Sayaka and Azusa. Then, we were told they disappeared and are nowhere to be found."

"Is that what Kyoko told you?"

" _ **YOU BET!**_ " Kyoko's voice rang as she soared from the sky while on her horse before she landed near the Sailors and put her spear forward towards Shadow Sayaka. "Where the hell are Sayaka and Azusa?!"

Sinon has her crosshair focused on Shadow Sayaka at a floor in a nearby building. "Make your move," she muttered. "I dare you."

Shadow Sayaka had to stay calm at this point. ' _Kyoko..._ ' "I see you haven't lost your touch."

" _ **WHAT DO YOU KNOW, HUH?!**_ " Kyoko was feeling furious. "How dare you...! Are you THAT evil to take them away from me?!"

"It depends..."

"...on what?!"

" _ **Enough...!**_ " Honoka demanded Kyoko to stop, and had to make sure the situation is controlled. "Kyoko, this isn't helping."

Umi was observing Shadow Sayaka before she saw her put a hand behind her. ' _DAMN!_ ' Umi then summoned her Cosmic Bow & Arrow before pulling an arrow back on the bow and released it towards Shadow Sayaka. Just as the handgun was out, the arrow hits the handgun and freezes it before it hits the wall, destroying it.

Shadow Sayaka was impressed. "Well done." And she saw Umi aim her bow and arrow at her.

Nozomi and Eli felt inclined and summoned their respective Extensions. After they did this, the others did the same thing. Shadow Sayaka was beginning to be a potential threat.

Sinon was keeping her scope centered on Shadow Sayaka. Then, her earpiece gave a ringing sound, since it's connected to a phone packed in her attire jacket. Briefly pressing a button on the earpiece, she gets her hands to steady her rifle again. "What is it? This is not a good time."

" _ **Sinon?**_ "

"Mato?"

" _Janeth tells me you're helping look for Sayaka._ "

"I only ended up finding her Shadow self. And no kidding... I'm seeing her shadow self. The Cosmos Sailors are trying to get things under control."

" _Rock and I could get there and..._ "

"No. With all things I hear about Sayaka, I don't think you'd match up well with her. Not even Rock has that power when she uses your body for combat."

" _That's what YOU wanna say, Sinon._ "

Meanwhile, Shadow Sayaka widened her eyes, seeing images of the memories from the original Sayaka. It flooded in her before her head started to hurt as she clutched it with both hands. "UGH...! Damn you...! UHHN! LEAVE OUR HEADS!"

The Cosmos Sailors all noticed Sayaka suffered, but Kyoko didn't care. "I've had enough of this." Kyoko then jumped off her horse. While in mid-air and going towards Shadow Sayaka, she spun her spear just before she swung her spear towards an unsuspecting opponent.

But the Shadow girl knew and summoned a cutlass before she defended herself. Time slowed down in a stutter as Kyoko was still in the air, blade connected to Shadow Sayaka's cutlass. "You didn't learn anything, did you?"

"GIVE THEM BACK!"

"WE WON'T. Besides... We still have to look for them ourselves so we could enjoy them without your interruption." Shadow Sayaka spun and took away the blade of Kyoko's spear away from her before she jumped and kicked Kyoko towards the Sailors.

Time flowed normally as Kyoko came crashing down to the ground in front of the Sailors.

" _ **SAILORS, ENGAGE!**_ " Honoka commanded this furiously. ' _I'm sorry, but this is not the Sayaka we knew._ '

Sinon then decided and pulled the trigger. Time slows down again as she saw Sayaka's eyes dart over to her before time flowed normally again. The Hecate II was cut into half but Sinon slid back and got on her feet. Shadow Sayaka was already in front of her... "The hell...?" ' _That was too close._ '

"Trying us from afar, are you? It is not wise." Shadow Sayaka then extends her hand before a time bubble was around Sinon, seeing her extremely slow inside it. The Shadow girl then dashed before she suddenly thrusts her cutlass into Sinon's torso while removing the time bubble and seeing a Sinon in disbelief bleed. The Shadow girl then nears her mouth to the half-android's ear. "That's your lesson, android."

"Damn... you..."

"You are most welcome." She then removed the cutlass blade from the sniper's bleeding torso before she spun-kicked her, making the sniper hit the wall and make a hole through. "Good riddance." And she sensed a Rapier blade oncoming from behind. "Useless." She turned and spun her cutlass as she blocked Maki's rapier. "Maki."

"NO! What have you done?!"

"We defend ourselves, as well as dispose who dare oppose us." Shadow Sayaka pushed Maki back with her cutlass before she launched forward and started her combo against a defending Maki.

Maki on the other hand was blocking every strike Shadow Sayaka was doing to her. ' _But she's faster! Damn it!_ '

"You are sloppy, Nishikino." Shadow Sayaka then puts a time bubble around Maki before she slashed at her many times, only seeing her Battle Dress defend from the worst of attacks. ' _Their attire rather gives a nice protection. It doesn't just break, but I don't have time to try killing them anyway._ ' She removes the time bubble before kicking Maki out of the crashed window.

Rin saw it from below and ran. "MAKI!" She used her super speed to catch Maki and sets the unconscious girl down away from the battle. Analyzing the injuries, she found out the Battle Dress was completely worn out. "Damn... the Battle Dress is out of commission."

Shadow Sayaka jumped out of the building. And while in mid-air, she saw Eli fly at her. "Another obstacle for us." She spun her cutlass before it meets with a blocking pair of razor fans from Eli. "Are you ready to yield?"

"Never." Eli then started her attacks while they were falling to the ground. Seeing Shadow Sayaka land on her feet, she wasted no time and continued to attack her opponent. She got pushed back and got attacked by the Shadow girl's cutlass while her Battle Dress protected her from the worst of the damage. Eli blocked against and tried to slash at her opponent, only seeing blocks and no damage. ' _Is she toying with us?!_ '

Nozomi flew from above the two, holding two magic cards with her two fingers. "Begone, Shadows!" She swung her arm back before throwing the magic cards at the Shadow girl, and got hit on her shoulders.

"AGGH!" Shadow Sayaka suddenly jumped back, seeing her shoulders pierced with the magic cards. "Cheap tricks to extinguish us. Tch." She dashed once, and twice, catching an unaware Eli off guard as she slashed her upwards, letting Eli experience a lethal cut on her torso and chest.

"HAAAA!" ' _Damn!_ ' Eli felt the pain made through her Battle Dress.

" _ **ERICCHI!**_ " Nozomi shouted in fear of Eli's condition. She then saw Eli fall down backwards before she flew downwards and caught the half-Russian. Nozomi took it to lower her down gently to the ground, seeing the Battle Dress torn up as blood was starting to flow. "NO, no, no!"

Eli was still conscious and saw Nozomi holding her. "Nozomi... I'm... fine..."

"No... you're not." Nozomi lets tears come out before looking at Shadow Sayaka bring the tip of her blade close to her neck.

" _ **It is better you both surrender like the rest of you.**_ We will not be halted." This, Shadow Sayaka had warned to both Nozomi and Eli.

Nozomi balled a fist secretly before letting her purple aura expand as she glared at the deathly staring eyes of Shadow Sayaka. "Who are you to tell us that, Shadow scum? You instil fear to the hearts of many to gain advantage for the Shadow Lord."

"At this point, you have no choice." But before Shadow Sayaka was about to raise her cutlass, her head ached again. "Uhhn!"

Nozomi had to her reflexes to glide her hand to Eli's chest and focus magic there, before sliding her hand down on the wound going to the torso. Intense magic glow ran through the wound before she sets a screaming Eli down. Eli was feeling the effect of the magic just as Nozomi stood up. "Save your strength, Ericchi." She then looked at an off-guard Shadow Sayaka with anger. "We'll take care of this fiend." And she dashed forward summoning magic cards.

Hanayo and Rin were steady in the air, seeing Nozomi throwing magic cards at a defending Shadow Sayaka, but it was soon turning around and noticed Sayaka was attacking a defending Nozomi this time.

"We have to do something, Rin!" Hanayo then raises her Cosmic Pistols.

"Let's go at it together, Kayo-chin!" Rin holds her Cosmic Bat with a tight grip.

" _ **Need help?**_ " Nico said it, and flew beside them. "I bet with speeds, we could try. Three are down, but I wanna see us try before we go down. And I got plan for that."

Kyoko then finally got up after the strong kick she received. Things were falling apart as she witnessed. No sniper shots were heard. Maki was nowhere to be seen. And now Eli is screaming 'bloody murder' while she was being healed forcefully with magic. ' _This... It's my fault..._ '

" _ **Sakura-chan!**_ " Kotori called out from above while she landed along with Honoka. "Are you okay?"

" _ **You took quite a hit and landed on your head,**_ " Honoka commented. "We weren't sure if we should help you or engage her."

"Why didn't you?"

"Eli's down, along with Maki and Sinon. We gotta stop her. Even Nozomi's cards aren't working and... LOOK OUT!" Honoka flew up and caught a flying Nozomi before bringing her to the ground.

"Uhhn..." Nozomi groaned, knowing her Battle Dress was torn up. "Kuso..."

Shadow Sayaka took off magic cards off her body, while seeing a recovering Nozomi being helped up by Honoka and Kotori, together with Kyoko. Suddenly, she saw rounds come at her from her before she was being hit with fiery red sphere-rounds. Looking up, Hanayo was using her Cosmic Pistols to shoot kill-spheres at Shadow Sayaka. The Shadow girl deflected some shots with her cutlass, but didn't expect things were to happen on the ground. She was whacked once with a bat from Rin's Cosmic Bat in super speed, while a fool's strike from Nico was made before she blocked an actual attack from behind her, by Nico. "All for your strike?!"

Nico smirks while pushing with her Ninjato. "Not quite."

 _ **Seconds before it happened...**_

Hanayo finished firing her rounds of kill-spheres from her Cosmic Pistols. ' _The people are gone from this spot so it should be good._ ' Then she used her radio as a mini-radio transponder appeared on her belt and a little headset got on her ears. "HQ, requesting Star Bomb strike..." Then she looked below her, seeing Nico defend herself from Shadow Sayaka's attacks. "...right at my coordinates."

" _Are you sure?_ " Melusine's voice of concern reached Koizumi.

"Trust me."

" _Alright! Ordnance is on the way!_ " And Melusine's voice came with flashes from the sky. As Hanayo expected, Star bombs were fast approaching from above.

Shadow Sayaka attacked Nico one more time, throwing off her opponent's Ninjato. "If it's not for you, then it's for someone else." She then jumped up high before opening a rift, shortening her way to Hanayo before grabbing her body and neck. "Your actions are useless, Hanayo. Suffer your own consequences." She threw her upwards, forcing Koizumi to see the oncoming Star Bombs about to hit her before a series of explosions rang in the air. Shadow Sayaka then opens a rift and lands on the ground successfully on her feet.

Rin stared in horror as tears left her eyes, seeing Koizumi falling with black smoke from the sky. "KAYO-CHIN!"

Koizumi later crashed into an office building, rolling on the floor and crashed more through desks at a regular floor just before she stopped.

Honoka was seeing everything was going to chaos and had to do something. "This has got to stop. We can't have any more of us getting hurt." Her hands shook, knowing her Ton Gloves were on her, but even she... felt weak. "It's... It's useless, isn't it? I've seen Sayaka's power. Although she's not using it in full right now, she's doing her worst whenever we keep fighting her. This has to stop... all of it."

Kyoko's balled fist then goes limp as she looked at Shadow Sayaka from afar, and imagined the horror she would spread if this indeed kept going. If the Battle Dresses weren't strong, some of the Sailors would have gotten killed. "Yeah... I'm with Honoka."

" _ **That makes three of us,**_ " said a panting Nozomi.

" _ **Four,**_ " said Kotori.

And Shadow Sayaka turned to the four from afar, before looking at a crying and angered Rin. "Didn't you hear? They want to yield."

Rin winced at the statement. "No... NOT AFTER WHAT YOU DID."

" _ **Enough!**_ " Nico shouted at Rin. "They have a point."

And without a further response towards Rin and Nico, Shadow Sayaka started walking towards Honoka's party. "This should have been more interesting if we have grasped more into the fullness of our power. But knowing the circumstances that this was our first fight, our message needs to be sent to you all." And she stopped, just in front of them, now looking at Kyoko. "We have risen from nothing, Sakura. Perhaps you may see them, or perhaps you won't. Your emotions gave you away, making us more than pleased to force our hand."

Kyoko looked away. "What do you want from them?"

"We will let you use your imagination. And let this be a warning to you from us: Once you meet us again..." Shadow Sayaka opens a rift behind her before she walked back. "...we will not hold back, and try killing you. Farewell... Kyoko." She then crosses in the rift before it closed leaving the rest of them alone.

Umi then supported Sinon from the holed building just to stand up. "Sinon... You made it out... alive."

"Eh... Bleeding to death isn't where it should end. I'm a half-android after all." Sinon was then helped towards the hole and saw the carnage done down below. Lampposts were knocked down. Holes were made. Bullet holes were around as well. "It was just a street fight, I guess. But what's what worst that happened?"

"Well... Nobody died."

"Could you just...?"

"Sinon... No. Look... we were spared." Umi frowned at this. "But then we were given a bigger problem: She got away."

"She... WHAT?!" Sinon then pushed Umi away before she attempted to stand on her own. "Damn it... It's her fault... FUCK!" Not minding Umi on the ground and getting on her feet, Sinon left the floor.

 _ **Back in the Cosmos Sailors' flat...**_

Eli was looking at Koizumi and Maki, strapped with bandages to let them heal naturally as they sleep. The other girls seemed to be out of it, so they went out and had time to themselves. Nico, Honoka, Nozomi, Kotori and Umi were observing them.

"We let this happen," Eli said.

"It's nothing for you to be blamed of," Honoka replied. "All of us had no fault in this."

"It's no wonder that Shadow self of Sayaka was loose. But... Kyoko wouldn't really mean for that fight to happen in the first place."

"Rin wouldn't say the same thing," Umi commented. "She's pretty much upset at Kyoko right now. Good thing Kyoko's separated from Rin. If she were with her, she would have plucked her eyes, or her internal organs out."

"Oh, Umi... Still realistic." Nozomi remarked. "Kyoko felt responsible after Sayaka and Azusa were nabbed. She might have gotten carried away, but we at least saw Sayaka's Shadowy self can do. And that's something we can't beat. She's a powerhouse like how we know Sayaka."

"It seems so far, huh?" Kotori asked rhetorically. "I guess we're pretty much screwed right now."

"I wouldn't really say that, Kotori," Honoka replied. "Maybe we're beaten today, but remember: We always stand up. And that's exactly what we're gonna do. As soon as Hanayo and Maki are good to go, we'll start to go places and go after Shadow Sayaka. We can't have her loose..."

" _ **...not without a plan.**_ " Kyoko surprised the six who were talking to each other. "Sure we can keep moving, but the best we could do is make a plan of action. Shadow Sayaka is loose, and she can travel dimensions. Guys, we gotta get our heads together."

"What do you suppose we do?" Eli asked.

"Well, if Sayaka can go from one dimension to another, we just gotta find another one who can do the same. And yeah... Sinon's getting a hold of her now."

"Her?"

"T-that means..." Honoka's statement was incomplete.

" _ **...SHE KNOWS JANETH?!**_ " The other girls finished it.

 _ **At the roof of a building...**_

Sinon slaps somebody's cheek. "YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!" Sinon seemed furious and a tear left her eye as she glared at the magical girl in front of her.

Janeth felt her cheek before she turned to Sinon. "You wouldn't fully understand."

"What wouldn't I?! What were we all to you...? PAWNS?!"

"Hmph."

"ANSWER ME!"

"FIRST OFF, WHAT ARE YOU?!" Janeth shouted back, now glaring at an angry Sinon. "Shino... I'm methodical as I go. Engaging someone without knowing full extent of the opponent's power is futile, especially if the opponent can control time. The only way for you to see that is for you to see it yourself. As for me, I already took a lot of experience just watching the fight from afar."

"You're cruel."

"And so? I have at least enough to take note if I wanted to foolishly take on Sayaka again. I've seen my other selves lose to her, to the fate put around her. The mistake I made was not understanding my opponent, even when I faced her."

"So you're making up for it by watching us while we almost got killed? You know... I feel like I'm being used."

"Isn't it true?" Janeth smirked at Sinon. "I WAS USED." Her smirk quickly faded and she glared at the sniper. "WE ALL ARE."

"This isn't just about you." Sinon sighed. "Look... I know I owe you a lot, but you gotta consider lives for your own sake. We got a Shadow doppelganger of Sayaka loose out of there. Don't you think it's important we look this over together? The reason why I called you out here now is..."

"...you want me to help you and the Cosmos Sailors look for the loose cannon and kill her."

"Well..."

"And you want to recover Sayaka and Azusa with my assistance as well."

"That's what I'm concerned of. We don't know where they are."

"True. If Sayaka didn't even bother using her powers, she wouldn't be here. It means one thing: The power was sucked out of her and she can't recover from it. And since I'm the only dimension-travelling magical girl you know, why not? However... do you wanna do it with the Cosmos Sailors?"

"Why not?"

"Well..." Janeth smiled and chuckled. "It's Melusine who wouldn't like it, but she'll know there's no other choice. I'll have to modify the HQ Travelling Engine."

"Wait... that floating HQ ship in space... You're gonna what...?!"

"You heard me." Janeth made it final, just before she walked towards the roof door. "If we wanna find Sayaka's doppelganger, together with your closely new friends, we're doing it together." She then opened the door. "Question is... will you ride some of my crazy ideas that would work? If you don't have faith in me now, then you're wasting someone's energy to convince you that we'll be a step closer towards our goal. Think about it and come down when you're ready." She crossed through the doorway and closed the door behind her. Then it opened again and she winked, before she closed the door behind her again.

Sinon knew obviously that she needed progress. And since Janeth is with them right now, more steps were needed to be made with her help. "Oh... shit. Could have been left to die but..." She laughed it off as she headed for the door and left the roof.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Azusa felt her body was sore. She had scratches all over her body. That fall she took from the hill hurt her quite a lot... "Uhhn..." Moaning in pain, she knew standing up would be a bad idea and decided to wait it out, but she felt weak to make a difference.

Her eyes focused upward and she eventually felt her vision was blurred, and her consciousness fading. But before that happened, she thought she saw a dog with a kind nature towards her. And from the looks of the appearance, the dog was an Akita. ' _Is that... a dog...?_ ' She felt like asking herself could bring her one step closer to finding where she was.

She knew she needed to get back to her friends, but she fell unconscious before thinking of another thing. She only saw an image of Sayaka, and of her Shadow doppelganger together before it all went black.

 _ **\- TO BE CONTINUED -**_

* * *

 ** _YEAH! Goodness it's over._**

 ** _"Of course it is."_**

 ** _Ah. Hey, Janeth._**

 ** _"Disappointed of me?"_**

 ** _I don't know, really. You just stayed back and watched._**

 ** _"But they haven't seen what I can do. It's because I was observing from afar. If this doppelganger is the same as the original, then she could have more."_**

 ** _Ah._**

 ** _"My methods are just. It's not an act of cowardice. It's about measuring up when I've learned from my mistakes before. I fought against Sayaka. I'll just have to make sure foolish moves aren't made again. This time, I'm sure."_**

 ** _Good to know, Janeth._**

 ** _"So, check out his collab author's profile for the next chapter! Chapter 3 is on him so watch for updates! By this time, my OC details would have been posted on Mr. Author's profile page right now."_**

 ** _See ya on the next chapter. Yeah… Done. Want some chicken?_**

 ** _"I say. Let's go." *winks*_**


	2. NOTE

NOPE! Don't even think about it! I am NOT on hiatus. Unless I say, don't you dare think that I am on hiatus.

Fellow strikers, I was enjoying myself in playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, and ARMA III. Don't say I like being an addict in games. I'm just exploring different things.

Besides that, I've been doing crazy RP's with two authors in FF, and IT WAS AWESOME! :D The other author took a break for a while, and the other author and I have an RP that's still alive, thanks to the times.

And oh... Christmas is coming once again! I got plans to update the Sonicbird series first. After that, I'll do rotating updates on all of my fanficts. I suggest you guys PM me for suggestions of what my next updates would be, and how often they'll be made. Consider my position as author though: I can't write all the time.

Enjoy your Christmas days and whatever others call it in other religions. Smile, fellow Striker. ;)


	3. Chapter 4: Once was free

_**(The fan fiction has been based on two authors: Leche Flandre and StrikerStanding692... Works based off majorly from Shaft Studios and Sunrise Studios with credits going to them! Sayaka Bishop belongs to Leche Flandre, and I own Janeth Maria Ferrano here! Enjoy! ;) )**_

 _ **Previously, on Us Against The Shadows...**_

The girl turned, and smiled. "You see…I'm Sayaka."

At that moment, a fireworks and laser-light show filled the night sky with color, physically displaying the thoughts running through all nine Sailors' heads.

' _Whoa..._ ' Honoka thought of it while seeing the girl who fought with them against two uncontrollable witches of despair. She and her group just met Sayaka herself...

* * *

"Whoa! Sayaka, are you okay?" asked Kyoko.

Sayaka couldn't answer. She was wincing and grimacing in a great deal of pain. She fell to her knees. "Gyaaaaaaagh! Hmn…grrgh…Raaaaaaaaaauuuugghhh!"

Sayaka looked at this Shadow version of herself. She also took notice that her Soul Gem no longer had any color; it was just a black lifeless ring on her finger. "H…how….?"

Kyoko banged on another flat door, panting from running up and down all of London looking for the supposed Cosmic Sailors she'd met at the party. She'd knocked on more than a few wrong doors along the way, and she was beginning to lose hope.

* * *

Taking the slip of Psychic Paper from Sayaka's hands, the girl looked it over, not lowering or uncocking her Colt M1911. "Huh. Transfer from the RAF, eh," she said.

"Thanks," said a confused Sayaka, "Hey, got a name?"

"Louise," said the girl, "Louise Zamperini. Call me Zamp."

* * *

Azusa came to a big door, and noticed a lit red button just beside her. When she pressed it, the door opened, and she was greeted with a barren landscape lit only by the stars. And was that a building in the distance?

She ran out the door in the direction of the huge silhouette. And lost her footing. She tumbled down a hillside...

* * *

" _Look... I'll tell you straight away. Sayaka... is gone,_ " said Eli through the comm powder Sinon used.

"What? How did she disappear?"

" _That's what we're about to find out. We might need an extra hand._ "

"Fine. Just for backup, I guess I'll just do you a favour."

" _Serious?_ "

"Yes. I never met Sayaka Bishop before. But if it's finding her that you like done, I'll be happy to help."

* * *

This, Eli didn't want to continue seeing. And so, she stood up and held Kyoko's shoulders. "Kyoko, stop. This isn't gonna help."

"What isn't? Seriously! Sayaka and Azusa are GONE! And you expect me to calm down?!"

" _ **Please... Sakura-san...**_ " Kotori said with her hands clasped in prayer. "We can't be in level if we don't think well."

"Look... What do you expect we do?"

" _ **It's obvious,**_ " Eli replied. "We try finding them."

Hanayo then pointed a place on the holographic map of London. "The Falkland House Government Office in 14 Broadway is the place where shadow energy is a bit plenty. I say we start there."

* * *

The earpieces rang out through all of them as Melusine's voice was heard. " _ **This is HQ!**_ _If all of you are reading me, get to Falkland House in a snap! Shadow energy is gathering up and fast for a reason! I have a feeling it will be messy with people there._ "

Honoka nodded. "Well I don't care if we get found out. I won't have people hurt... NOT ON MY WATCH! _**SAILORS, WINGS!**_ "

" _ **RYOKAI! (ROGER!)**_ " Along with Honoka, every Cosmos Sailor turned as their attires changed into the white Battle Dress.

* * *

Shadow Sayaka saw people run from her in fear. Calmly walking at the sidewalk, she glanced around, seeing figures flying from afar coming at her direction. She smiled, recognizing them. "My friends... we meet again..."

* * *

"GIVE THEM BACK!" Kyoko demanded.

"WE WON'T." Shadow Sayaka replied.

And a battle ensued in front of the Falkland House Government Office... 3 were downed, but Eli and Koizumi were the ones who took more of a beating. Sinon was okay, but later found out about the situation. It could have gone a good way, but it never did.

* * *

Janeth smiled and chuckled. "It's Melusine who wouldn't like it, but she'll know there's no other choice. I'll have to modify the HQ Travelling Engine."

"Wait... that floating HQ ship in space... You're gonna what...?!"

"You heard me." Janeth made it final, just before she walked towards the roof door. "If we wanna find Sayaka's doppelganger, together with your closely new friends, we're doing it together." She then opened the door. "Question is... will you ride some of my crazy ideas that would work? If you don't have faith in me now, then you're wasting someone's energy to convince you that we'll be a step closer towards our goal."

* * *

"The Junistera Multiverse is a new Multiverse. Twenty new Universes, without any god or goddess, ripe for our taking. But before they can be taken, we must remove all obstacles. That is where you come in. Find this rift traveler, and deal with her."

"As you wish, our lord," replied Shadow Sayaka, now serving the Shadow Lord.

* * *

Suddenly, someone walked into the hut, and said, "We've got a mission! Get to your plane and get going."

"Yes sir," said Zamp. She turned to Sayaka. "Well, guess we'll be heading there anyway. Let's go."

* * *

"Gotta get those doors closed," said Sayaka, "Drag's gonna slow us down."

"Roger." Mitchell moved to crank the back-up levers.

In the cockpit, Sayaka increased the throttle, and banked over as she witnessed her four witches lay waste to a Hive. The Hive disintegrated into thousands of tiny white specks. "Just like Christmas, indeed, Zamp," said Sayaka, "Now, hurry on over and get back here, so we can get out of here."

Suddenly, black dots appeared in the horizon off to their left. "Yo! Neuroi inbound! 10 o'clock, level!" Sayaka shouted, "Zamp, you better get your arses back here now! Boys, call them out, and gun them down!"

Super Man's machine guns barked to life as every crewmember ran to their gun station and opened fire.

* * *

"Hey there. Name's VIOLA."

"Viola?" asked Azusa.

"Yep. 'Vocalized Interface Oaxaca, Locolahost, Arm-mounted.' Or just VIOLA. I'm a MobiCom AIOS, or 'Artificial Intelligence Operating System.'"

Azusa got up to leave.

"Now, hold on, wait a minute. Aren't ya gonna take me with you?"

"How can I? You're a computer system."

"Well, yeah. But I'm a MobiCom, a Mobile Computer. I can help you out a lot. Please? You won't regret it. And you don't have to worry about charging me, 'cuz I have a long-lasting solar-charged battery. Plus, I go right on your arm, like a watch. Please, please, pleeeeeeeas?" VIOLA clasped her hands together, pleading and begging as best as an AI could.

"Alright, let's go," said Azusa. She picked up VIOLA.

"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you~! It's so quiet and lonely here! But now I can explore the world again!"

Azusa chuckled a bit as she slipped VIOLA onto her left arm. VIOLA's kind of cute when she acts like that.

"Hey, ma'am, got a name? Something I can call ya?"

"Azusa. Azusa Nakano."

* * *

Shadow Sayaka walked right up to Mato's door. And with a Time Blast, she blew it open, and stepped inside. "Hide! Because the world is no longer yours!"

* * *

Shadow Sayaka did not make Rock pull the trigger. She just stood there, reveling in her quick success. Suddenly, she felt a kick to her back, and she fell away from Mato. She turned to see Janeth arriving through a rift.

"Janeth!" said Mato, relieved.

"Lady Janeth Maria Ferrano," said Shadow Sayaka/Rock.

"Turning friends against each other is a dick move," said Janeth, "But since you're here already, I'll end this here and now." She pulled out her Strike-Umbrella, and pointed it at Rock. "Come out of there, Shadow bitch! And fight me properly."

* * *

Janeth suddenly found herself moving without her control. She summoned her Cannon-Rifle against her will, and pointed it right at Mato. She grimaced. "No…please..."

"We do not hear any surrendering." Shadow Sayaka made Janeth's finger slowly apply pressure on the trigger.

* * *

"You what?" Shadow Sayaka, still possessing Rock's body, slid up close to Janeth. "I-want-to-hear-you-say-it," she said slowly.

Janeth felt her finger press more on the trigger. "I g-give up! Fucking stop this already!"

"Good girl," said Shadow Sayaka. She knocked Mato unconscious, and left Rock's body, thereby rendering her unconscious, as well. She stood to face Janeth, still floating off the ground. "Unfortunately, we are not done yet." Shadow Sayaka turned into black smoke, and then entered Janeth's body. "Loose ends must be tied," her voice echoed in Janeth's head, "We must ensure that you do not return to interfere in the future."

In each World, wherever a Janeth existed, Shadow Sayaka's Shadows entered her mind and possessed her, sucking the light out of her Soul Gems, and sapping her of her Powers. Once the task was completed, all of the Shadows reconvened together, and Shadow Sayaka rematerialized.

* * *

"Silly girl. We know you all too well. If this version of you did not attempt to thwart us, it is likely that one of your other versions would. But now, our job is done. Leave us be. Attack us, continue to try and stop us, and it will end worse for you."

With that final warning said, Shadow Sayaka grabbed Janeth by the hair, and punched her square in the face, knocking her unconscious and breaking her nose. Then, she turned and walked away. With a wave of her hand, all the debris was cleaned up, and all the damage was repaired. Soon, the only hint that there was a battle were the three unconscious and bloody girls lying on the floor.

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: "Once was free"**_

 _ **Janeth –**_ _Where the hell have I gone wrong? No... I haven't done anything wrong. Mato was in danger. I had to make sure she was safe. And I was a fool, not realizing that Shadow Sayaka could use Mato. Still... she put Mato in danger, and I fell for it. I should have trusted my gut and avoided Shadow Sayaka. And this is what happened to me, before I knew it happened..._

 _ **Cosmos Sailors' HQ... Moving to MultiVerse Ambrogio**_

The Sailors, with the addition of Sinon and Janeth on board, are patiently waiting as the HQ was travelling back to MultiVerse Ambrogio. Things are taking an interesting turn at this point, since Janeth fixed the Traveller Engine of the HQ.

Honoka was pacing back and forth while in thought of the events that happened, while Kotori and Umi were watching her.

Sinon was leaning on a wall just away from the rest, still observant. So many things went wrong for them that she didn't even realize it herself. Shadow Sayaka is getting more powerful. And at this point, she cannot be stopped. And anything can be possible as one of them could be picked off, then another will be, and then another.

" _ **You're stressed,**_ " said the magical girl named Janeth who was joining Sinon with a chuckle. "Take it easy or your blood pressure's gonna be your own enemy."

"Really? You're telling me now when everybody else is feeling the same?" Sinon asked this rhetorically while seeing Janeth lean her back to the wall just beside her. "Janeth, this kind of thing you're doing for the Sailors is small time."

"True. But just to inform you again of why, I'm doing it because I don't want foreign energy, even shadow energy to detect my presence. At this point, with Shadow Sayaka on the loose, she'll head straight to the Shadow Lord and serve him. Hell... She's even serving him and...! Ggh!" Janeth clutched her head as she briefly grunted in pain. "Damn it... She's doing it herself... Fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Sinon asked while Janeth appeared to calming down from the pain.

"Damn it... Not only was one Multiverse eliminated, but another as well. If I'm right... That was Multiverse Kekyona."

"And what do you mean there was another?"

"Multiverse Eha is gone too. I don't know, but it felt different and even the Janeth who I posted there didn't know until she fully saw it. She couldn't escape it... Those shadows got to her."

"Shadows?"

"Shadow Sayaka seems to really move forward, and with Eha not in her responsibility. The Shadow Lord had done it, actually."

"What?!"

"Relax, kid."

"How should I relax when two Multiverses were eliminated?!" And Sinon's worried voice resonated in the whole of HQ, making the Sailors gasp. Moreover, Melusine rushed to the two of them.

" _ **Excuse me?!**_ Did I hear right that a Multiverse was... eliminated?" Melusine asked this and Janeth sighed.

' _I wasn't wishing the thing would go viral now._ ' "Well..." Janeth then continued to tell Melusine about it.

Janeth told Melusine about the phenomena that is happening. She first detected Eha was completely destabilized, but only so slow. Kekyona was done for in only minutes.

"Oh my..." Melusine couldn't believe her ears.

"That's horrible," said Honoka.

"All the lives in there too..." Rin comments this less enthusiastically than how she used to.

Kyoko was seated in the corner, hearing the conversation even from afar. ' _Shadow Sayaka, huh? And she's doing damage. Damn it... if I wasn't that careful from back then..._ ' She sighed, not completing her thought.

Kotori noticed that Kyoko was there and walked up to her before kneeling. "Sakura-san, are you okay?"

Kyoko didn't seem in the mood to glance at Kotori. "What do you think?" Kyoko replied this lowly. "I made Shadow Sayaka defend herself and everything ran out of control."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Did you even hear what Rin said? I got Koizumi hurt because of it."

"You're just feeling sorry for yourself, Kyoko," Kotori replied while putting a hand on Kyoko's shoulder. "I don't blame you. Let Rin say what she wants. After all... Koizumi was hurt, but it wasn't of your hand."

Kyoko then glanced at Kotori and noticed the hand Kotori placed on her, before putting her own on it. "Thanks. What are they talking about right now?"

"It's probably something about the shadows and their capabilities."

"I don't think Shadow Sayaka is unlike any of the shadows you guys know since we all saw her, kinda powerful." Kyoko then stood up from where she sat. "I wanna get closer."

 _ **With the group close to Sinon and Janeth...**_

"Ahh..." Eli rubbed her chin. "Still... for a shadow's capabilities to amplify Sayaka's..."

"After all," Janeth replied. "Sayaka is more than just a rift traveller. She controls time, and space if I knew better. Actually, she was honest so she told me. If it's amplified, it could have a variety of results to her."

"You said it yourself," said Melusine. "She destroyed a multiverse for only minutes. What more if she tries with the others around?"

"Exactly. This is why I got things for you guys to do. Those servants holding information of other multiverses they know thanks with the help of Shadow Sayaka are gathering in Ambrogio. I want you to find them, and make them talk."

"We know," replied Honoka. "They were agents, but under the meat, right?"

"Yes."

"Hanayo would be able to help us here." Honoka then turned to Koizumi, still with a band-aid on her forehead. "You okay with that?"

" _ **Hai!**_ " Koizumi replied this with a salute. "If I can't be burned or killed, no one's stopping me from doing my duties right!"

"Hehe..." Rin chuckled at this point. "Kayo-chin, you're taking this from me, are you?"

"Rin-chan, I'm just..." Koizumi stopped and blushed, then turned away from Rin not letting her see. "I thought being confident isn't bad if I show it..."

"Eh?" Rin then saw other eyes look at her. Some even glared at her. "Oh, come on, guys!"

"Hmph." Umi snorted, as expected. "Rin, even if she's supporting us, you shouldn't teach her stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Before you died as an on-duty officer, you were in a state of depression, and attempted to sell yourself to prostitution."

"EH?! HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"

"Please. Everybody knows. And whatever got you to get through that, you're starting to teach Koizumi now. You're confident, until you busted yourself out of there and came clean later on."

"How the hell can you even prove I'm teaching Koizumi naughty stuff?"

"It's because what you were taught by force back then, you're telling. And I know your level." Umi's explanation even got more eyes to glare at Rin.

"Eh...?" Rin felt a little ashamed, and even saw Koizumi glare at her. "Kayo-chin."

"Hmph." Koizumi snorted.

Sinon knew it had to stop. "Alright, people. We're not talking about Rin's horrible past before she became a police officer. Koizumi will do what is asked of her, so let's try to forget this little conversation you had, okay? Rin helped Koizumi no matter what. It still has good effect."

Rin was grateful to Sinon for that. "Thanks, Sinon-san! I thought I could be stuck there, nya!"

"Pleasure."

" _ **With that aside, another topic.**_ " Janeth had to break it and continue. "Koizumi here can detect shadow energy with her ability. It's up to you guys to find those agents who have the information on the multiverses. They each have multiverse weakpoints. It could be various, like small black holes, or loosely opened rifts to collapsed dimensions that could be used to make the destabilization possible, or faster. Those little things, cannot be allowed to be seen. I already gave you guys a list of meetings to be made possible in Multiverse Ambrogio. We can't prevent the further destruction of the multiverse, but we can slow it down."

Honoka then asked. "Aren't we supposed to find Azusa and Sayaka?"

"In case you haven't listened to the little meeting we had earlier, I told them that those two can wait. With their locations unknown and my other selves spread out in the Existence, I cannot help but try doing what WE COULD DO first. As much as I want to try, they're out of range from us. Even if they're near, I could have them scan nearby sectors. However, we simply don't have the time. That's why THIS is the first that needs to be done." Janeth was interrupted by a ring from her com-powder. She opened it and saw the screen had an alert message. ' _An alert message?_ ' She looked at it and saw the message that reads: "MultiVerse Tteollida... WARNING! AREA BREACHED BY UNKNOWN ENTITY... READING... SHADOW ENERGY DETECTED..." And she widens her eyes at this. ' _Shadow energy?!_ '

Sinon gets a look at Janeth's com-powder and becomes concerned. "Wait a minute... Isn't that Mato's home?"

"I have to go."

"Wait! Janeth... That address... and there are shadows there!"

"I'm going alone!"

"JANETH!" Sinon makes it loud and clear and Janeth's attention is fully on Sinon. "Who knows what kind of shadows there are over there?!"

"I know ONE kind."

"Shadow Sayaka?" And Sinon got the Sailors to be shocked of this. "We... We gotta go!"

"No. This is something I have to do... alone. I'm minimizing damage here as much as possible. Besides... Shadow Sayaka has a lot to pay for anyway."

"It might be a trap, Janeth."

"I don't doubt it." And Janeth opens a rift behind her. "Better me, than all of you."

"Janeth, WAIT!" But Sinon was too late as the rift closed with Janeth who crossed it. She was gone, and she couldn't even do anything.

" _ **People!**_ " Melusine had everyone else's attention set on her. "Janeth's decision is hers. Right now, Shadow Sayaka is trying to take out loose ends. If she indeed ends up in a trap, it doesn't change the fact we can't easily be located. She's made her choice, ladies. It's time we get to our duties. We got some agents to find. Sailors, we're approaching MultiVerse Ambrogio, Universe 14. Get in position!"

" _ **RYOKAI! (ROGER!)**_ " All the sailors responded as they stepped to the platforms. Kyoko and Sinon were left to themselves.

"So..." Kyoko wanted to try start a conversation, but couldn't get something out.

"Kyoko... How are you?"

"I'm fine, I guess. Well... Everything's gone to shit, huh? And Janeth left us here."

"But she at least gave us things to do. We gotta get hold of those agents. I'm necessary too, so be ready at the platforms if you're up for it. Are you?"

"Yeah. It's better to pay something for what I've done."

"Don't blame yourself."

"I do. Please... respect it."

"Then I want you to think of something for me, Kyoko. You're not alone in this. You're not the only one with whatever you could do. We all do."

"I... I'll try." Kyoko's reply came with Sinon putting her arm around her shoulders. "Sinon?"

"Come on, Kyoko." Sinon starts walking to the platforms with Kyoko. "We got a lot to do for Janeth."

 _ **MultiVerse Tteollida... Universe 16 of 20...**_

 _ **Milky Way... Earth...**_

The afternoon was about to darken as the door was opened. The young child brother named Hiro and his mother finally came in to the house. And both of them saw the shocking scene: Three girls were on the floor unconscious and bloodied.

"Oh my god..." The mother had to get steps done and nodded in determination while shutting the door behind her. "Damn it."

"Oka-san? What happened?"

"Hiro... get me the medical supplies. We have work to do."

"H-Hai!" Hiro then ran up to the stairs as he finally got the medicine cabinet and opened it...

And Janeth heard voices...

" _ **This was supposed to go somewhat more peacefully. But you forced our hand.**_ " Shadow Sayaka's voice emanated from the dark space...

" _ **No!**_ " Janeth's voice was heard.

" _ **Our dominion, shall be the whole of Existence.**_ " A male voice, eerie and made to be feared was heard. " _Our place is EVERYWHERE. We shall achieve this without stopping._ "

And Janeth opens her eyes, seeing her friends, now possessed with shadow energy. "No! Don't come any closer!" And she hits a wall behind her. She tried to run, but she was easily cornered. Then she realized something else: She was in rags and never had her soul gem with her. She saw the Sailors, in front of all of her friends growing closer with dullness in their eyes and a soul-piercing look that they will obey anyone, even giving in to kill anyone. Janeth saw this just before Honoka brought out her Ton glove and punched Janeth. She was tossed to the wall, making cracks on it. Eli got closer and slashed Janeth with her razor fan blades. Then Koizumi went close and fired her Cosmic Pistols at her.

Janeth was then on her knees, bleeding and trying to outlast them. But Umi came forward with her arrow aimed using her bow. "Game over. The Shadow Lord, will be victorious."

"I beg you... stop this."

"He will never be stopped." Umi then released her arrow as it lodged into Janeth's head, letting the former magical girl fall dead.

Janeth screamed out loud as she sat up on the bed. She stopped and opened her eyes seeing the night light from out the window. She was sitting on a mat next to a bed while she looked around. ' _I'm in Mato's room..._ ' Then she looked down and noticed her clothes and saw she was wearing pyjamas for some reason. "Hm..."

" _ **You're awake.**_ " A woman's voice was heard as Janeth turned her head to its owner. She had dark brown and short hair and the same navy blue eyes like Mato did as she knew her. She looked... rather depressed while walking in, looking at her daughter still asleep on the bed. Then she glanced back at Janeth. "It's been a while, Janeth."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kuroi."

"Don't bother. I'm sure you've seen your fair share of screw-ups while Mato had the same."

"Where's Black Rock Shooter?"

"Right now, she returned into my daughter. She thought my daughter's spirit was broken after what happened. Wait... What happened?"

"Well... we got attacked. That's what it looked like. As for the attacker? Well... Do you remember Sayaka?"

"Huh. Sayaka Bishop is that kind girl that could be reciprocated to your harsh nature."

"Tch. Anyway... she lost her powers to some shadows who are looking for trouble one time."

"Shadows?"

"They're the living interpretations of sin and evil that happens in the spirit of one individual who lives, makes them stronger. And... they're even strong to hack a soul gem."

"What?"

Janeth chuckled afterwards. "You heard right. Though… a representation of Sayaka with shadows? That's a first." She looked down and looked at her soul gem. "Now I'm powerless. Honestly, if there's anything else I'll be disappointed of, it's living. Hah..." Janeth sighed and lied down on her pillow. "This is seriously out of whack."

"You know... Mato once told me she was troubled, especially when her friendship circle was getting troubled. But they worked it out. She told me that the first thing they did was question, themselves. They had to do that and tell each other's pieces of hurt that they experienced during their friendship. They worked it all out from there and they were good friends ever since."

"Hm..." Janeth knew much more happened. ' _While all that's true, conflict between their counterparts happened. Yes... Mrs. Kuroi's words are accurate, with evidence coming from the counterparts including Black Rock Shooter. She's trying to fight through her own emotions, not aware Black Rock Shooter is getting them for her. She has emotions that she knows she could have taken, but that was before she knew Rock. Emotions were being tested from then on. And her friendship improved with the three she always knew._ '

"I'm sorry if I made you think. I forgot you had a... disturbed past."

"It's not something I would want to change. I came from it, but I moved on, I think."

Mrs. Kuroi knew she had to trust Janeth again, since her daughter's life was saved from what happened. "Well... It's not bad to trust you again, of course. I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Hiro thinks of that too."

"Okay." Janeth then sat up again, and eventually got on her feet before feeling her ribs ache a bit. "Damn it... That shadow bitch..." She glanced towards Mato, still sleeping on the bed. ' _I'm sorry if I made you go through all this. She used you. I wanna pack a wallop at her, but I'm sure she'll be doing whatever she can against me to stop my progress._ '

 _ **Mato's dream world...**_

Mato was walking on the endless grassland under the bright day, looked around as she saw only endless grass and the blue sky as she walked across it. She was wearing only a white dress and was barefooted. She felt the wind and the soft ground she stepped on. But she didn't feel the little feeling of uneasiness until she noticed it started to disturb her.

" _ **Mato...**_ " And she turned around to see Black Rock Shooter. It was her voice. She called her. "It's been a while, Mato."

"Rock...?"

"Mind if I join you?" Rock then joined Mato and walked together with her. "How are you?"

"I... don't know. Ever since the attack... I..."

"Don't let it make you feel bad, Mato. It isn't your fault."

"But I led Janeth to lose her powers, Rock. Ever since... I was crying from inside. But you saved me from letting my guilt eat me. Thank you, Rock. Though... Is she alright?"

"I was listening to their conversation earlier."

"Who was she talking to?"

"Your mother. It seems she got you and Janeth patched up."

"That's good news. But... does Yuu, Yomi and Kagari know?"

"I don't think so."

"And Ms. Irino?"

"There's nothing for them to hear, Mato. That, I can assure you."

"Great. Because I don't want to worry any of their counterparts too. They don't need to be involved with..."

"And what if they do? Mato, Shadow Sayaka isn't an easy one to deal with, especially if she strikes again. You know Janeth, right? She had problems with Sayaka ever since she knew her, but... she was friends with her of sorts. But this one... This one is very different. It's unlike the real Sayaka who's defensive. Shadow Sayaka is quite dangerous and broke Janeth."

"H-how do you know?"

"Part of her emotions got in me. Although she might be made up with multiple voices..."

"They're shadows, Rock."

"She's made up of shadows, Mato. Though... I felt that she's feeling a bit unwilling, like she was forced."

"Forced? Hm..."

"I know you noticed it from her eyes. They might be lifeless, but think about it."

"Ah."

"So what should we do?"

"Well..." Mato was deep into her thoughts as she started to think of any plan that could be possible. ' _Janeth can't stay here. She has to stop Shadow Sayaka from making chaos around. Though... Janeth always has ways. She even experienced having no powers for a while if I remember from her stories correctly._ '

"Look... You may as well wake up. It's morning."

"I... How?" Mato then saw Rock smile before putting a finger on her forehead.

"Like this." Rock poked Mato's forehead...

 _ **Mato's room...**_

Mato then woke up and slowly opened her eyes, seeing the ceiling while she noticed it was fairly bright in the morning. ' _What happened? Did that dream really happen?_ '

" _It did,_ " replied BRS. " _It was nice calming you down._ "

' _I feel better, I guess._ ' Mato then sat up, noticing Janeth was looking at her while leaning against the wall only wearing civilian clothes. "Janeth?"

"Good to see you're finally awake. And it's really late."

"Oh. What time is it?"

"Pretty late enough, I guess. It's 10AM."

"Eh?! I have to get to school!"

"Don't bother. Your mother called it a day just for yourself since she called the school this morning. Besides... You look as if you need more rest."

"Oh." Mato frowned at this. "I won't be able to see my friends for the meantime, will I?"

"Well, you got me."

" _...and me._ " BRS then glows blue around Mato until she finally separated before she stood beside her human counterpart's bed. "Hi, Janeth."

"Thanks for bringing her back from being broken."

"It was natural, Janeth. I needed to let her see the good side instead of the bad." Rock then glanced at Mato feeling okay. "You should stay at home. From what I could tell, Janeth might have plans."

"Huh?" Mato didn't know it and got curious. "What do you mean?"

"Mato..." Janeth decided to explain. "I felt a little strange. I know I lost all my powers, but for some reason, the mind link is gone too. I have to reestablish contact. She won't be a problem with just one place. I got a feeling she picked up memories too. That could mean a lot of things.

"First thing to do is get my powers back. I don't know how the hell it'll benefit me at first, but I know it'll be limited. The rest of my powers have to be earned back, but it'll take time."

"Great."

"It'll hurt though. I at least have knowledge of that."

"You don't need to go through that if you don't want to."

"On the contrary, I think you know what I think of all this." Janeth narrowed her eyes at Mato before she headed to the door. "I have to go."

"No." Mato's word stopped Janeth as she turned to see the girl move her legs off her bed until she was standing on her own. "I gotta help you in any way I can."

"Mato?" Rock knew Mato's decision was solid but nonetheless asked: "Are you sure?"

"Rock, you know my feelings, and I'll want your support."

"You don't need to ask, Mato. I always do." Rock then glanced at Janeth. "Janeth? Is this okay with you?"

Janeth knew Mato and Rock can still be considered allies and can very much help. If not, they're still companions. ' _I might still owe it to them since they were easily handled by Shadow Sayaka._ ' "Fine. Mato, get ready. I'll be leaving soon."

And Mato smiles at this before nodding. "Okay!"

Janeth walked with Mato just at the edge of the home vicinity Mato was in. There were people at that side so they expected as much that people knew about the place they were going to. Except... it was a temple of sorts and was only visited for counselling and fortune-telling, and was quite famous that the price was quite high, letting them grant it was main idea as to why the temple was clean from dirt as they saw it from the outside and afar.

Though Janeth knew better.

"I studied this town and somehow this world," Janeth said, starting her explanation. "See... This is home to one of the many fortune-tellers and psychics who knows about the future or accurate past events around the world. The Japanese almost don't fail at those fields, and more psychics, although somehow unknown, operate in many secluded places in Japan and in some parts of Asia. But that simply is a cover for something else entirely at this place. This place in particular also is the home of a shaman who knows how to summon spirits to restore a partial of real-time energy whenever a human wishes it. But pain is always present during the rites she does. The target either makes it, or doesn't. The target is then forgotten, since the shaman knows how to clear memories."

"Whoa..." Mato couldn't believe it was a real case happening in her world.

"In any case with this shaman, she also knows how to return the powers of anyone who has, including humans from off-world. And I'm a human from off-world." Janeth smirks. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Piece of cake? Are you kidding?! How much will it hurt you then?!"

"Do you want to find out?"

"No!"

"Then will you just watch, Mato. Hehe... Now, come on." Janeth then walks towards the temple and Mato followed while she was nervous of the situation.

' _Janeth, you're really a risk-taker just for the objectives you fulfill, huh?_ ' Mato thought of this as she entered the temple with Janeth, letting them see the interior with wood inside and stone on the walls, while the wood was applied mostly on the floor. The center of the room was style to be like a dojo, with only the floor designed for a smaller space for a few people. The interior was beautiful. Then they noticed there were two entrances for other rooms in the temple-like structure without doors, and only cloth that block's the view of whatever is beyond the doorway. ' _I wonder what is beyond there?_ '

There came out a woman in a kimono from the shadow of the area from the other side of one of the doorways. She had a dark purple base color for her kimono with some yellow lines on it. She held out a red fan, covering her beautiful face. She looked to be in her 40's, but she was acting gracefully as she looked at the two customers in front of her. "Oh? Two youngsters have come to seek to fortune? And what's this? A young brat, too familiar." She said this with a smirk at Janeth. "You almost got my mother in trouble from Nagasaki. I wish I could do something against you, but she told me killing you is not the wisest I could think of."

"Hehe…" Janeth only remarked this as she approached the woman. "I thought I'd find you here, Suzu. How's Yasu doing?"

"She… is fine." Suzu then closed her fan furiously. "But we are all the way out here, no thanks to you."

"Life. I'm sorry if I meant you trouble."

"There you go again, brat."

"Careful with your tongue. I'm much older than you."

"But it still doesn't make you less than a brat, brat."

" _ **That is enough…**_ " An old woman, wrinkled while she walked with a staff to support her, just came beside Suzu. "We owe her a great debt, even if our moving has been unfortunate. Don't you think learning something could have been something nice, Suzu?"

"Oka-san… You should understand she also made us suffer."

"Maybe. That's because she desperately asked help and we didn't help her, when we had the opportunity and the means of doing so."

Janeth made a fist with her own hand with the guilt she felt. "I'm sorry. I know I still need to repay you both due to what happened in Nagasaki."

Mato was then curious and asked. "Janeth, what are you talking about?"

"I was here in this world, in Nagasaki while they are. I tracked a smuggling lord and led the authorities all the way to the temple they were still in at the city proper. I told Yasu and Suzu to peacefully give the smuggling lord up. Unfortunately, the same guy was also their relative… Suzu's cousin and SHE refused. The guy had been taken by force and was arrested. Their business was shut down in Nagasaki due to them not cooperating, and Suzu took this badly. Yasu however, considered it a fault on their part."

"Oh my…"

" _ **It's no thanks to you.**_ " Suzu glared daggers at Janeth. "We had to start from scratch, and that was years ago!"

"Still a fool," Janeth remarked.

"What did you say, brat?!"

"You could have learned from Yasu that you had a fault of refusing to give him up."

"He doesn't deserve a life in prison!"

"Well, he didn't deserve to be in the wrong in the first place!"

" _ **ENOUGH!**_ " Yasu shouted and hits her staff to the floor. "This is not going to be resolved, if you, Suzu, are not going to let go of the past. We owe her."

"I owe you two as well, Yasu. Don't say it like it's all your fault."

"That's not necessary. Suzu here was just angered that her own cousin had been arrested for smuggling and the business was shut down back then. It was something bearable since we were able to get a backup plan before we would really be doomed."

"Oh?" Janeth smiled. "Then I'm glad from there, you two were able to stand once again. But I'm here for YOUR services, Yasu."

"I see." Yasu then looked at Mato and winced for a moment, just before glancing back at Janeth. "This girl… Friend of yours?"

"Frankly, she is, Yasu."

"Well… She seems interesting. Child… What is your name?" Yasu asked this from Janeth's companion.

"Kuroi, Mato…" Mato answered at quite a nervous way.

"Ah. I think I know your mother from somewhere. She went to the market one day and I was out buying food as well. She seems pretty serious about things. Don't forsake that. It means she's working hard for you."

"If… you say so." Mato wasn't sure of what to feel of the old woman Janeth talked to.

Yasu eventually sighed and wanted to move things along. "I guess the two of you can go beyond the doorway. Follow me."

"Oka-san?!" Suzu seemed to disagree. "Are you sure?"

"My daughter, you must understand that the girl is here for serious business. Do not be fooled by her appearance."

"Once again… We are forced to follow." Suzu mutters but later sees Janeth suddenly stopping and letting Mato come through first.

Janeth was then beside Suzu and glanced towards the woman. "You may blame me all you want, but I'm not about to go back to the things people still blame me of. Most of the things I do against them, I don't get back too easily and reflect. I've dealt people worse things than just your business, Suzu. You should be lucky you still have a business standing. This time… you have no relatives in the wrong that can bring you down. And still, you're upset?"

"I will never see forgiveness in my heart when it comes to your presence."

"That's just fine with me. If you'll excuse me, your mother needs to help me." Janeth looks away and enters the doorway, leaving a half-angered Suzu.

Eventually, three figures were climbing down a set of steps. Janeth was at the rear of the three, while Mato was at the middle. The old woman led them down the stairs of what her other two companions would think leads to something sacred. They don't know how right they are at this…

Eventually, the long set of steps ended and they finally reached the bottom. The old woman led the two towards a wooden door and she opened it…

 _ **Meanwhile, in MultiVerse Ambrogio…**_

" _ **We're hitting them…**_ " Melusine's voice made a sound for every Cosmos Sailors in the same multiverse. " _And we're doing that simultaneously, girls. You've got your assignments. If you're all really motivated to slow down the progress made from Shadow Sayaka, this is the best we can do. You know the stakes here. Use that as your only motivation. Good luck…_ "

And so… the Cosmos Sailors were doing what they can as they went through different eras in the same MultiVerse.

A man left his hotel room one night. Eventually, he got in an old-fashioned elevator and went down to the ground floor, only seeing Eli with her arms crossed while wearing a civilian attire. Once the elevator doors opened, she spoke: "I think in your terms, you might need to think about leaving. You know what you're in for." And she eventually glared before pushing the man in the elevator before its doors closed. She morphed into her Battle Dress uniform and shadows emanated from him in fear of her. "You don't need to run. You are after all… a threat. But it can be changed if you tell me, specific information."

 _ **While that was happening, in the year 2055 in another version of the world in a city in a certain nation,**_ a hover-car chase was happening in the bright day. Two hover-cars were going at high speeds and the one in the rear kept bumping the one in front. Eventually, the high speed chase brought both to lower altitude towards the industrial area of the city.

Koizumi knew that Rin's driving was good. ' _But is she THIS crazy?!_ ' She thought of it as she felt the rush of the wind hitting her as their vehicle quickly descended, while still tight on the other car in front of them. "Rin-chan! YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST!"

"It's all because we have a duty, Kayo-chin!" Rin happily replied this while suddenly finding the car chase resuming at a leveled and low altitude in the industrial area where they're near the old-fashioned roads. She dared and hit the pursued car from behind again just before it lost control and spun while on the roads already. "It's graviton steer thingy is stuck! YEAH! He's going down!" But she spoke too soon as she pursued car was about to crash that its roof suddenly ejected, and in slow motion, a man with a blue spandex outfit covering his whole body featured with a cape at his back jumped out and held a pistol. ' _Crap!_ ' Rin ejects her roof as she jumped and morphed into her Battle Dress uniform and spreads her wings, while summoning her Cosmic Bat. The man fires a shot before she swung the bullet like a fly. Koizumi even got out and morphs while spreading her wings and pulling her Cosmic Pistols out for both hands.

Eventually, the man landed on the ground and started sprinting before he ran insanely fast with a power Rin didn't know of. Rin followed with her super-speed and Koizumi following from behind her. "Rin-chan! You're too damn fast!" She was flying instead of running at this point, leaving behind two smoking cars collided nearby.

 _ **In a simple alley on a rainy night in Chicago of the year 1998,**_ a man was shivering cold as he puts his hand out before another hand holding a plastic of white powder hands out the drug that always seemed addicting. "Thank you." The man who first asked for it then walked away, now opening the plastic and inhaling the drug into him.

The drug addict then sits at a nearby wall, trying to go about his business, when an elder civilian-wearing teen walked to him. Nozomi knew that he was just… sad to look at. So she bent and looked at him, and saw him eventually turn his head to her. "You?"

The man knew that the girl was interested in him, so he raised the plastic of drugs to her face. "Want some?"

She winced and slapped his hand away in surprise. "No! Of course not!"

"Tch. You just a… sympathizer. Fuckin' leave."

"No. You have a purpose, and I have too. Right now, it's important I talk to you." Nozomi saw him turn his head away from her.

"What do you want with a bum like me?"

"Do you feel, like you're betrayed?"

"I am nothing. He told me he could show me everything. I thought I could leave this body. And I know you can see through me. You're one of them sailors, right?"

"Then you know what I'm here for."

"My life? Information? I wanna help you, but I'm not good."

"Not good, you say?" Nozomi didn't have emotion, but felt her duty had to be done. So she looked at him before she activated her magic, making her eyes glow purple before the same color of aura surrounded her body. The binds on her hair was taken off before they flowed like it was water. "I can convince you. I don't feel easily, but I DO owe my friends a favor if they are hurt. I don't show remorse when I remove a shadow from their own existence. But I DO show compassion whenever there's room for them to understand. Right now, I have compassion."

"I told you, I'm no good."

"Then your path of pain will be tested, will it?" Nozomi then picked the bum up before he was forced to stand and was pinned to the wall. She summoned a magic card with her free hand. "I don't have time."

The man glared at the girl. "I've done enough shit than you, girl. You don't scare me."

"Let's find out." Nozomi then swung her magic card like a razor before she brought the card's tip with speed across his forehead. When she had done it, a horizontal scratch was made before he started to bleed.

"Ha… AGGH!"

Nozomi takes away her magic card before placing her hand on his forehead before reciting inaudible words. Her hand glows bright purple before she felt magic being used on his wound. She later takes her hand away as the wound was healed. "How does it feel?" She asked, knowing he felt so much pain while he was healed, still with the pain there like a sting with the sensation going away slowly.

"I'M NOT TALKING!"

"It will get worse. Very well." Nozomi then summoned her magic card. "We will test… other parts." And she sliced his neck next. Then came other sensitive parts in her form of torture…

 _ **Meanwhile in the Cosmos Sailors' HQ…**_ Melusine was tracking the progress of every Sailor on the field. Kyoko was pacing back and forth while Sinon was watching from afar. The magical girl in the HQ is very much unsettled.

"If you keep walking like that, you're gonna wear your own legs out." Melusine said this while looking at the main HQ screen. "Better yet, you'll be tired before you even started to really do something. Just stop, will you? Calm down."

And for that, Kyoko stopped walking and turned to the caring Melusine. "And what are you Sailors doing? They're just getting information!"

"Just… getting information? I think you're becoming impatient, Ms. Sakura."

"Oh? And what are you doing?"

"For now… nothing. But you shouldn't have a problem. I know I type a lot, but there's no need to type anything since I'm only observing for now. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"What I'm worrying about is you, not doing anything!"

"Okay, it stops there." Melusine then turns to Kyoko and glares at her. "You might think I'm not doing anything, but I'm doing the best I can."

"Oh?" Kyoko decides to talk towards Melusine. "Says who?"

"Says me." Melusine then glows bright before a light blue glow from her chest glows bright, almost making Kyoko narrowing her eyes due to the brightness and stopped walking. "You might not see me as capable, but behind this body is a kind of Cosmic Fairy you would never forget not to cross."

"Are you bragging?!"

"You were about to hurt me, so yes. I'm bragging right now. Besides... Your being angry isn't by your doing."

"What are you talking about?!" Kyoko asked this as Melusine lets her glow fade before approaching the magical girl.

"By what I meant, I mean… something's not right about you. I had to wait for the sailors not to be around so I'd show you. Follow me." Melusine then walked back the HQ screen and Kyoko was right behind her. "I'm sure you were wondering why your depression and anger levels are elevated because of the string of events that happened that you believed you caused." Melusine then started to type on the keyboard in front of the HQ screen before a picture showed of the electromagnetic brain activity that was shown on screen. Little black spots formed like mists are shown at random spots.

"What is this…?"

"I had the liberty to check your quick psychological response quotient, and I was led to this…"

"Wait… this is my brain? But what are those black misty spots there?" Kyoko asked this, and she noticed Melusine had refused to answer, like she meditated. "Uh… Melusine? What are you supposed to tell me?"

Melusine sighs before she continued. "Kyoko… You've somehow been inserted partially, by Shadow energy."

"What?!"

" _ **I thought so.**_ " Sinon said this while approaching them and just stopped in between the two. "Kyoko… there's no doubt your emotions are involved here too. Janeth told me that the makings of a Shadow possessing a person, comes with the despair or negative emotions one feels. You were able to cut off a possession completely and just reduce it to just a pint of the Shadow energy getting inside you. Trust me. I've gone through quite enough with Janeth to understand the mechanics."

"Well… This is bad! Mel, what's up with the removal?"

"Nothing's up," Melusine replied.

"Hell no! You're telling me you just know but you can't take it out?!"

"I need your word on it. Do you want the others to know about it?" Melusine asked this to Kyoko, but the magical girl shook her head. "Are you serious?"

"How bad is it anyway?"

"It's not life threatening, but there's a chance a shadow would be able to find that little of a trace in you. If the others know, you could get it removed, but it'll be a somewhat painful since it's directly synced with your brain."

"Synced?"

"The Shadow energy transformed itself into the brain's fluids, making it a bit of a difficulty by just conventional means, even if this involves Ms. Nozomi's counter-Shadow magic. It will be very painful."

"Well…" Kyoko was about to answer when her eyes winced for a moment. And Melusine noticed it herself. "I'm… gonna have to think about it. Excuse me." And Kyoko suddenly runs away.

Sinon was about to walk to Kyoko but Melusine stopped her.

"Sinon… this isn't the time. I know you want her to do what she has to do, but this isn't a simple procedure since it converted itself to being a part of her. Plus, telling the others would complicate the situation. As long as we're all concerned, there's no other way to force-remove the shadow. Besides… this is the first time I've seen a case of a piece of Shadow energy completely integrating itself as part of the person. Usually, they'd just possess and consume the victim's meat."

"Perhaps, this is something new?"

"I would think so myself. I have to run a few more tests to confirm this."

"Alright. But…" Sinon looked at Kyoko, sitting with her against the wall. "…I hope she'll be okay, Melusine."

 _ **Temple Rites area...**_

Janeth yawned while her body was nude while she was lying down on the steel bed in the middle of the rites area, while looking upwards towards the ceiling. Only Mato was there to watch, and she was nervous at what will happen. No one else was there for the meantime, and Yasu who was supposed to be there isn't there yet.

Mato knew to herself that if this fails, Janeth will be gone. So she took this time to be calm and approach the magical girl. She stopped just two feet away from her. She looked at the dull green color of Janeth's soul gem attached to a small chain around her neck. Still, it made her nervous. So Mato had to speak up. "Janeth, are you sure about this? Don't you think it's a bit... sudden? You don't need to come after Shadow Sayaka after you were beaten."

"You're wrong," Janeth said, while still looking at the ceiling. "I know I didn't tell you much, so I wanted to take this time to tell you anyway. I'm sorry... but I wanna be open this time. I got too much in my mind. Anyway... Something is off, with Shadow Sayaka. I saw her back then in MultiVerse Junistera. That's when I knew... that she was acting differently there. I know it's been a while, but I haven't mistaken comparing her attitude from back then, to what's happening now. She had a different take and stance from back then, you see. See... she was defensive and definitely attacked the Sailors when she was attacked anyway. Kyoko might have started it, but it's not her fault. She was conserving her attacks. Here... she was... aggressive. She even broke me to a point I'll never get up ever again. Now that is the kind of person... who's being manipulated instead. Then I remembered: Umbra Dominus."

"Umbra Dominus?"

"It means... Shadow Lord, the very one who gives out the shadow energy to consume of all the darkness and anything that exists, if he's powerful. And right now, he's so strong. I even noticed two MultiVerses suddenly go missing from my eyes. The shadows... they represent evil. And right now, Shadow Sayaka is attached to it. But I believe she's being manipulated. See... she has the memories of the real Sayaka. SHE WOULD NEVER have done this... lure me and destroy me until I'm a sheep, stripped of her dignity. My powers... They are a part of me, and made me who I am now. I might have a heavy hand, but I did what I could. I know I've hurt Sayaka so much, but her fate won when I decided to try going against her once. And I knew from then it wasn't worth it I try again. She has her own journey, and I have my own. She was both my rival and enemy, but she was also my friend... considering me as one even if I hated her. For some reason, I loved her. And now that she's in trouble, and needs my help, I don't know how to help. Really. I'm cruel. I've shown cruelty without her, and it brought me to this point."

"It's not true. You were trying to protect me. Don't let the past make you think of that. I know you wanted to try, so you're trying right now."

"Well... thanks."

"But... is this a sure way?"

"Mato... I'll have to reconnect with my power to get back to action... and soon..."

"But you know... it's your only capable self. Once you die, your other selves can't help you."

"I expected as much, Mato."

"And you're going to continue?" Mato felt more worried.

"I need to find Shadow Sayaka." Janeth looked at Mato, now serious. "It's my conviction, and I'm sticking to it. Okay? And it's best I don't involve you either."

"No. Rock and I are coming with you."

"No! It's too dangerous!" Then Janeth saw Mato glow blue before Rock came out from her, standing separately beside her.

"We made our decision together," said Black Rock Shooter. "It's not something so simply light, Janeth. Mato is concerned of you. This cannot go on like this."

"What cannot go on?"

"...you, being alone when you tackle things like this. Right now, you are alone and you have no other version of you helping."

"I don't care, Rock. The two of you might just face hell if you go against her. You've seen what she can do."

"That's why we're confident. Right, Mato?"

"Right," Mato replied with a smile.

"Guys...?" Janeth wasn't believing what she's seeing, as if it was her friends right in front of her.

"Let us come," Mato requested.

"I can't lose you both."

"You won't," said Mato and BRS, who later nodded back.

" _ **Your convictions are equally positive.**_ " Yasu came back to join them. "It seems you've been quite busy at your conversation. Ah... This must be the girl's counterpart."

"Hello." BRS greeted the old shaman lady. "You sensed right through Mato when you first saw her."

"Of course. The otherworld is very much attached to this world, so of course, I am friendly if there are friendlies coming from such place."

"I see."

"Let's put that aside." The old woman then looked at Janeth with a glare. "You have nerve," she calmly remarked.

"Of course I do," replied Janeth.

"I already sensed that even if you're old, you're quite the gutsy one. Are you sure?"

"I've faced worse, and the pain... much more. I think this'll be a walk in the park."

"Think of that as you may, but your body will feel like hell."

"I felt like hell when I tried going through it tens of hundreds or of thousands if I remember right. I understand what's at risk here."

"Your soul gem can only take so much. You must summon your element lightning and take in the one hitting you, for you to succeed. It's always been your very core element from the beginning, and the first you have mastered. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. Everyone... stand back." Yasu did as she recommended along with Mato and BRS as the room darkened. "Let us begin." And from there, she started to recite a rite, inaudible since she was speaking so fast and softly. The two of them were nervous, but Janeth won't back down. Yasu then puts her hands forward towards the nude girl on the steel bed as she recited the words for the rite she's doing much louder now...

Mato kept her eyes on Janeth, hoping to see the magical girl unfazed by everything. ' _Because if she's scared, then I would think she's quite crazy._ ' Her thoughts weren't accurate.

But Janeth had her doubts too. ' _If there was another way, then I would gladly take it. Then again, nothing is always easy. Nothing._ ' She immediately makes a fist with one hand and looks at the rod attached from the ceiling. Blue and white current of electricity was noticed as it travelled furiously on the rod. Then the bed started to glow, before the electricity reached out to Janeth as she felt its strong current hit her with a shock. "UGGH!" ' _Damn... it's strong!_ ' "AHHHHHHH!"

Yasu noticed the current was quite strong on Janeth. "Do you need to stop?!"

"HELL NO! I've gotten this far! SCREW STOPPING! HAAAAAA!" Janeth kept it up, like it was nothing.

"Child, you've got to let it in!" Yasu advised this, still seeing the strong electric current travelling into Janeth's body.

 _ **Janeth –**_ _The only thing that I was thinking of was... it was my only shot, or die. I know my body is already used to the electric element, and more if I'm able to take my own element from the outside. It's needed so it could jumpstart at least my powers. If not, then I don't know what else I could do. As I felt the spark of electricity and its current flowing inside, I remember how it hurts._

 _I remembered the pain that someone takes when struck by lightning. It's what I'm feeling now, and I'm almost smoking up. My naked body began feeling the heat, and I was almost losing consciousness. NO!_

 _I CAN'T! I only started on this crazy idea, and I'm not about to die. And I'm saying it: THIS WILL NEVER KILL ME!_

Janeth's fists were closed tight as she screamed further just before time slowed down and she opened her eyes. She felt the little spark in her body that was all too familiar. ' _That's it... That's the spark!_ ' Her thoughts led her to finally let time flow before she puts her hand forward, letting the electricity hit it first as she focused on that spot so it would be its entry point. ' _It's easier through the hand since it's a little wet. Yes... I want more. The spark can't continue unless I get more._ '

"Yasu..." Janeth muttered, but it was enough that the old woman hears it. "Amp it up. I feel it!"

" _ **What are you doing?!**_ " Mato was worried sick as she asked Janeth, still being tortured by the electric current passing through her body. "It'll kill you!"

Yasu then whispered to herself, and it was the rite used to make the electricity. The current was made stronger and Janeth felt her body change from the inside. "There it is, child," Yasu mutters. "That's the best it can go."

Janeth started to just groan loudly as she was starting to adapt to the current. ' _Oh my... This is... It's getting weaker... Is it...?_ '

And Mato noticed that Janeth was shaking less and less. "Yasu... What's happening to her?"

"It's as I expected. Your friend is starting to take the electricity in her body. It's reviving her magic from the inside."

Janeth closed her eyes, before opening them again, showing her natural green eyes as a magical girl. "You... are mine." She smirked while licking her lips as she still knows her hand is first that the current hits. The electricity travelling in her is starting to change color from blue and white, to green and black. "Why don't you do me a favour... and be mine?" And after she said it, a reaction was made from her body that completely stopped the flow of current. Janeth moans just before her naked body glows green before her clothing started to appear again. She puts her hand on her chest as her attire was appearing again. She got off the steel bed as her magical girl attire was restored while green electricity can be seen visible around her. She lifted her hand noticed sprinkles of magic can be seen. Her other once free hand already held her Strike Umbrella and she was glad of this. "It's mine... A partial of my power is back. Mato..."

"Whoa..." Mato couldn't believe what she was seeing. "You're... You're really back."

"Listen to me..." Janeth approached Mato and Yasu. "Not everything is back, so I can only summon my weapons. Basic abilities are there, so I can't use rifts for now. That Shadow Sayaka simply took everything from me."

"So what's next?"

"You think partial power restoration is the only thing I got planned? I can't find Sayaka, but I can pull a few strings for that to happen."

"You sure?"

"Yup. Yasu... Thank you for helping me."

And Yasu bows in exchange of Janeth's expression of gratitude. "It is as long as we're now even."

"We are," Janeth said it just before she looked at BRS. "At any time, there might be shadows. I recently had an idea they'd be around, but less than the threatening level."

"They?" BRS asked.

"Shadows. Some shadows can be attracted to a place, especially the places Shadow Sayaka had visited. I noticed a little number had gone in Junistera, but it's non-threatening. It followed on a pattern that Shadow Sayaka had visited a place, so she attracts some shadows to appear in the same area. I advise caution once we get on our way. They could be lurking around here," Janeth explains just before she looks at Yasu. "We'll be going. Thank you… again." She sees Yasu nod before she leads Mato and BRS out of the room…

 _ **In the neighborhood, just away from the temple…**_

Janeth was leading Mato on the sidewalk. She noticed only a few cars were travelling in the open, as well as people. ' _They don't really show unless the atmosphere's to their liking. Sunny day… and having it bright rather lessens the chance they'd appear._ ' As her thoughts ran, she was still vigilant.

"Um… Janeth…?" Mato called out to Janeth who seemed to be on guard the whole time. "You don't need to get me here if you don't want to."

"Except I do, Mato. This isn't in whole, your fight."

"It is, when Shadow Sayaka stepped into our lives just like that. Didn't you see what she did to you? Your other selves can't communicate with you!"

"That's where you're wrong. A lot of my other selves will find a way to our communications back… one way or another. Even I'm gonna be on the verge of doing something crazy again."

"Ah."

"And I'm sure only a handful of my other selves have limited powers back. Still… If they know protocol…"

"Look… Where are we going?"

"Here," Janeth answered before walking to a door of a middle-class residence and pressing a doorbell's button.

A woman in her thirties answered and winced at the visitors, especially with the recognizable teen with black hair and green eyes. "Ah! It's… you…?"

"Ms. Yamazaki. I'm sorry for disturbing you, but my friend here needs a home for the meantime."

"What? Is her home not a good one?"

"It's a matter of safety, Ms. Yamazaki. I think you'll understand that to be the issue right in the open."

"Well… Okay. Please come in."

 _ **In a bedroom of the residence…**_

Mato sits on the futon in the bedroom and sighs. "You didn't need to get us a room, you know."

"Except I did, so you might as well be thankful, Mato."

" _She is,_ " BRS in echo said from Mato's body. " _Mato only knows how to receive but not how to express thanks in general._ "

"Hey!" Mato weakly pouts in Rock's statements.

"See, Mato? You're just hiding things."

"You're gonna leave me here, aren't you?" Mato asked this while looking away, knowing something obvious is coming to her. "You don't want me to get hurt."

"If they use you again…"

"THEN LET THEM KILL ME FOR ALL I CARE! Damn it, Janeth. Don't beat yourself up from what happened back at home."

"They broke me. And I won't have the same mistake eating me up again!"

Mato suddenly stands up before swinging her arm and slapping Janeth's cheek. "Snap out of it! You don't need to do this alone!"

Janeth took time to reflect on what had transpired between them.

' _What am I really doing…?_ ' Janeth's thoughts were on reflection of all the events that happened ever since she lost her powers in full. ' _Am I helping to protect Mato? Or am I just giving them the chance for them to strike again?_ ' Feeling her cheek with her hand, she turned to Mato. "What if they hurt you?"

"I suffered worse, emotionally. If something physical such as this is gonna be possible, then I won't mind. But you will NOT do this alone. Do you understand?"

Getting some sense from Mato's declaration, Janeth smiles and softly chuckles. "You are a stubborn kid…"

"At least you know my side of things, Janeth."

"Alright, fine. If you're gonna be coming with me, then I think we should plan. Okay?"

"Yeah."

 _ **Somewhere in a white room, with an office setting, and almost every object in there was whitened…**_

Janeth, or at least another version of her was furiously typing away on her keyboard. She looked nervous. She never was from before. The door to the office opened, revealing a yellowish blonde haired elder teen with copper-colored eyes and a fair complexion to white. She came in standing tall at over 6 feet and approached Janeth's desk wearing her black leather jacket.

"Boss… You called me?"

"Carla, I might have a situation that requires your attention."

"Shoot."

"My powers… They're… They're severely weakened."

"Severely?"

Janeth took time in explaining what happened to Carla, and it was about seven minutes later.

Carla was then processing what she had known so far. "So, a Shadow, eh?"

"Not just one, Carla, but a lot. Now I'm looking at a doppelganger who has the powers of a time traveler. With my mind link down, I cannot establish communications with my other selves."

"And where do I come in?"

"Perhaps you're the only one to help me on that matter. I'm not supposed to ask you of this, but-"

"You paid with me enough things, including seeing spirits I never thought I could. All I have left is our friendship. Thanks for forgetting," Carla said with a smirk on her face. "Now what am I gonna do?"

"Probably a lot, Carla. If you're willing to do this, then you know exactly how demanding this will all be."

"Lay it on me, Boss. I have all day anyway." Carla smirked at this statement. Right outside the office was an advanced etherjet striker unit resting at its cradle. It was being given tune-ups by robotic arms from the striker cradle. A breather mask was nearby. This was all Carla's, and she will be using it soon…

 _ **\- TO BE CONTINUED -**_

* * *

 ** _And that is a wrap! Stay tuned to Leche Flandre's next chapter. ;) Ohohohoho... Peace, Strikers._**


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